Private individuals didn't control the means of production. Individual profit motive exists regardless of whether that individual has been put into a socialist country or a country with more economic freedom, so it's probably best to harness that motive to create value for others. This isn't to say the government shouldn't be regulating externalities, such as pollution or limited resources in some way.

The most "anti-capitalist" country that has ever existed managed to harm the Earth more than the US [0].

[0] https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-grim-pollution-pictur_b_9...