Comments on: Concerning the Upcoming Encyclical http://catholicexchange.com/2009/06/22/119676/ Catholic News, Catholic Articles, Catholic Apologetics, Catholic Content, Catholic Information Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:46:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 By: GaryT http://catholicexchange.com/2009/06/22/119676/comment-page-1/#comment-40746 GaryT Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:02:44 +0000 http://catholicexchange.com/?p=119676#comment-40746 I personally don't like the term "excesses" as it is very imprecise and can be used to justify just about anything including over-regulation, nationalizing huge chunks fo the economy and unneeded and harmful environmental regulation. I believe a more precise way to think of things is a hierarchy of values. Capitalism in of itself (law of supply and demand) is a natural law that has no moral preference. But it is efficient. If people are considered merely economic instruments (essentially a variant of social Darwinism), then we would need no higher value than this. But people are not merely economic beings, but beings with intrinsic dignity. As such the natural virtue of justice must also exist. Justice in the Catholic understanding is to give people their due. For instance a day's work is worth a day's wages. Because the rights of people must trump the economic system, justice must supercede the law of supply and demand. Some examples where this would fit include: - paying living wages, even if it is possible to pay less due to a glut of workers - Honoring contracts, even if it would be possible to not do so The legal system should be set up to enforce justice towards persons (and a preference for the poor). Capitalism could work within the confines of a just society. Hard work has the real possibility of paying off. Now even in this case, there will be the case where the rich get richer. (Although the poor ought not get poorer, if they are paid living wages). Is this unjust? I would say NO. That said, the wealthy still have a moral obligation to share their wealth with others who need it more than they do. However this moral obligation is not due to the natural virtue of justice, but the supernatural virtue of charity. Charity, by definition, cannot be legislated (Legislated "charity" is actually stealing). Rather it can be encouraged but is still ultimately a free choice. By sharing their wealth, the rich have a means to practice Christian charity and even "baptize" their ability to justly create wealth. So there you have it: capitalism must be subservient to justice (enforced by law) and justice should be in turn subservient to charity, which must be a free gift. It is justice and charity that tame the excesses of capitalism. I personally don’t like the term “excesses” as it is very imprecise and can be used to justify just about anything including over-regulation, nationalizing huge chunks fo the economy and unneeded and harmful environmental regulation.

I believe a more precise way to think of things is a hierarchy of values.

Capitalism in of itself (law of supply and demand) is a natural law that has no moral preference. But it is efficient. If people are considered merely economic instruments (essentially a variant of social Darwinism), then we would need no higher value than this.

But people are not merely economic beings, but beings with intrinsic dignity. As such the natural virtue of justice must also exist. Justice in the Catholic understanding is to give people their due. For instance a day’s work is worth a day’s wages. Because the rights of people must trump the economic system, justice must supercede the law of supply and demand. Some examples where this would fit include:
- paying living wages, even if it is possible to pay less due to a glut of workers
- Honoring contracts, even if it would be possible to not do so
The legal system should be set up to enforce justice towards persons (and a preference for the poor). Capitalism could work within the confines of a just society. Hard work has the real possibility of paying off.

Now even in this case, there will be the case where the rich get richer. (Although the poor ought not get poorer, if they are paid living wages). Is this unjust? I would say NO. That said, the wealthy still have a moral obligation to share their wealth with others who need it more than they do. However this moral obligation is not due to the natural virtue of justice, but the supernatural virtue of charity. Charity, by definition, cannot be legislated (Legislated “charity” is actually stealing). Rather it can be encouraged but is still ultimately a free choice. By sharing their wealth, the rich have a means to practice Christian charity and even “baptize” their ability to justly create wealth.

So there you have it: capitalism must be subservient to justice (enforced by law) and justice should be in turn subservient to charity, which must be a free gift. It is justice and charity that tame the excesses of capitalism.

]]> By: Joe DeVet http://catholicexchange.com/2009/06/22/119676/comment-page-1/#comment-40743 Joe DeVet Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:40:06 +0000 http://catholicexchange.com/?p=119676#comment-40743 It sounds like George Soros, like Obama and Gore, makes his millions (in Soros' case, about a billion) through activities in the free market, then turns around and with the funds safely in their personal accounts, wags his finger at the rest of us and says, in effect, "I've got mine, but you can't have any. We need to make the market unfree through, respectively for these 3 men, over-regulation, nationalizing huge chunks of the economy such as autos and health care, and unneeded and harmful environmental regulation. It sickens me to think that our Church would base any of its arguments on this kind of hypocrisy. It sounds like George Soros, like Obama and Gore, makes his millions (in Soros’ case, about a billion) through activities in the free market, then turns around and with the funds safely in their personal accounts, wags his finger at the rest of us and says, in effect, “I’ve got mine, but you can’t have any. We need to make the market unfree through, respectively for these 3 men, over-regulation, nationalizing huge chunks of the economy such as autos and health care, and unneeded and harmful environmental regulation.

It sickens me to think that our Church would base any of its arguments on this kind of hypocrisy.

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