Catholic Ethic And The Spirit Of Capitalism

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Catholicism and Capitalism Go Together.......2002-06-19

Not only is capitalism moral, but Novak proves out how the Catholic church has a history of rejecting socialism and exalting the capitalist society. Contrary to Max Weber's work on the Protestant Ethic, all of Catholicism is not one big tome to social justice and human rights. From _Rerum Novarum_ to _Centesimus Annus_, Catholicism captures the spirit of entrepreneurial ingenuity and liberty.

a celebration of capitalism tempered by a warning.......2000-06-05

"Those who are convinced that they know the truth and firmly adhere to it are considered unreliable from a democratic point of view, since they do not accept that truth is determined by the majority, or that it is subject to variation according to different political trends. It must be observed in this regard that if there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political activity, then ideas and convictions can easily be manipulated for reasons of power. As history demonstrates, a democracy without values easily turns into open or thinly disguised totalitarianism." Pope John Paul II, _Centesimus_Annus_-1991, #46

Michael Novak has written several books on the impact of capitalism on democratic society, including _The_Catholic_Ethic_and_the_Spirit_of_Capitalism_. In essence, this volume contains a synopsis of papal thought on economics from Leo XIII in his encyclical _Rerum_Novarum_ (1891) to John Paul II in his centennial rejoinder _Centesimus_Annus_ (1991). This tumultuous period in between these two documents oversaw the rise of socialism and its final collapse. These events lead to the question, does capitalism engender a moral superiority as an economic system. The book leads the reader to the conclusion in the qualified affirmative.

Modern society maintains three dimensions involving public participation--political, economic and moral. Democracy (or probably more accurately, constitutional republican government) constitutes probably the best political form that flawed humans can achieve in this life. Capitalism has been demonstrated to be the most effective economic means to ensure maximum benefit (in productivity and material reward) for the greatest number of persons. Publicly expressed religious worship (particularly the Judeo-Christian creeds) have blessed society with moral leavening to help counter the vices so prevalent among persons at large in all walks of life. That socialism has collapsed so utterly is partly due to its _unitary_ nature. It intends to concentrate all powers--political, economic and moral--into the apparatus of the state. However, a democratic capitalist society with no accountability to God will also ultimately degenerate and collapse.

Leo XIII criticized to Europe's early Marxist movement, predicting that "The Socialists, working on the poor man's envy of the rich, endeavor to destroy private property, and maintain that individual possessions should become the common property of all, to be administered by the State... But their proposals are so clearly futile for all practical purposes, that if they were carried out the working man himself would be among the first to suffer." He extends his comments noting that the socialists "act against natural justice and threaten the very existence of family life. And such interference... is quite certain to... subject [all citizens] to odious and intolerable slavery... Ideal equality--of which so much is said--would, in reality, be the leveling down of all to the same condition of misery and dis-honor. Thus it is clear that the main tenet of Socialism, the community of goods, must be utterly rejected; for it would injure those whom it is intended to benefit, it would be contrary to the natural rights of mankind, and it would introduce confusion and disorder into the commonwealth." One can only shudder at the cost in human lives and misery that mankind has suffered for not affording greater attention to these words at the time.

Catholic ideas of these components in society were further expounded by Pius XI in _Quadragesimo_Anno_ (1931), to which he contributed. Injustice within society must be confronted, and for this imperative the term "social justice" was coined. Pius XI emphasized three points: personal responsibility, institutional change, and practicality. Humans have a moral nature and thereby must accept responsibility within the society in which they live. They must focus on change in the system--the institutions which constitute society. And finally, people should be realistic, concentrating on what is "possible" and not on utopian visions. During past ages, common people were passive "subjects"--this was a call to action for "citizens" to participate. (Needless to say, this encyclical was not very popular with Mussolini.) This requires free men and women to join together and organize. The art of association, Tocqueville wrote, is the first law of democracy. The absence of this quality makes the practice of modern citizenship and civil society impossible. The contrast can probably be best illustrated by a comparison between the American and French Revolutions of the eighteenth century. American colonialists were knit together by habits of volunteerism, whereas the French were still a mob of solitary individuals. The first revolution led to a free society--the second disintegrated quickly into a murderous anarchy followed by Napoleon's dictatorship.

The underlying principle of John Paul's anthropology is the "creative subjectivity" of the human person--seen from two perspectives: philosophically and theologically. The former sees _homo_creator_ envisions _imago_Dei_. In _Centesimus_Annus_ #32, John Paul writes, "Whereas at one time the decisive factor of production was the land,... today the decisive factor is increasingly man himself, that is, his knowledge, especially his scientific knowledge, his capacity for interrelated and compact organization, as well as his ability to perceive the needs of others and to satisfy them."

As a consequence, freedom is a means--not an end--to seek a harmony between self interest and the interests of society as a whole, wherever this is possible. Liberty is not to be taken as license--not as liberty _from_ the law, but liberty _within_ the law. Ultimately, all societies must focus on "the truth about man", for without this emphasis, people lose their moral bearings and sense of direction. (See the excerpt at the beginning of this review.) Capitalism enables the greatest opportunity to engage creatively in the economic sphere, and rewarding the labors of those who endeavor in productive enterprise. John Paul continues, "Important virtues are involved in this process such as diligence, industriousness, prudence in undertaking reasonable risks, reliability and fidelity in interpersonal relationships as well as courage in carrying out decisions which are difficult and painful, but necessary both in the overall working of a business and in meeting possible setbacks." Democratic polity provides a means of participation by citizens in establishing consensus. But without an understanding of the truth of man's obligations to God, corruption will ultimately dissolve the spirit of cooperation and chaos will ensue. Checks and balances provide the counterweights to inappropriate economic desires, as the pope describes the proper role for the public's moral component: "Such a society is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state so as to guarantee that the basic needs of the whole of society are satisfied." The message from John Paul's encyclical and of Michael Novak's _The_Catholic_Ethic_ could be summarized as follows: The human imperative is to be creative, and society must endeavor to encourage public virtue.

the morality of capitalism.......1999-11-29

I've lived through the '50's red scares,communist world expansion, the '60's nihilism and militaristic support for capitalistic expansion. I've witnessed the polemics of the 80's and '90's, culminating in the demise of Communism and the emergence of a "Third way" synthesis. Capitalism always appealed to the intellect as logical but, knowing that not all humans are hard working and creative, capitalism in its pure state always seemed morally lacking. Mike Novak argues this is like blaming the car engine for and moral deficits of a drunk driver. While providing an interesting ride, this socio-economic -political rollercoaster has always lacked a tanscendent moral order. Along the way, pundits, social critics and propogandists produced a moral overview both fragmentary and conflicting. Mike Novak's book assigns some greater moral clarity to the choas of this historical tumult. He argues that one may be both a devout catholic and an enthusiastic capitalist, that indeed, being catholic may even oblige one to be a capitalist. He stenghens his views with the imprimatur of encyclicals, both eloquent and prescient, by Popes Leo XIII through John Paul II. Each humanistic and thoughtful citizen, whether a member of The American Republic or the world at large, must ask: Are private property and the pursuit of profit moral goods or evils? Are capitalism's excesses and shortcoming the faults of the economic order itself or the hosting culture? Is the pursuit of self interest a natural expression of god-given talent (hence a moral imperative to inspire, protect and empower others) or is it the selfish and exploitative. Is greed good? When does legitimate self interest become greed? Is global expansion of American capitalism righteous, as an escape from the enslavement of starvation-level poverty? Or is it simply an invitation to starve more freely? Is the inclusion of world citizens an invitation to the feast of expanding prosperity or an exploitation of their circumstance? Should the social conscience of a corporation make good business sense? Is it even possible? Is it theologically sound? Is it theologically required? After reading Professor Novak's book, I believe each reader will have a clearer view of capitalism's moral strengh and the weakness of opposing neo-socialist apostasies.

Modern Catholic Social Teaching: The Popes Confront the Industrial Age 1740-1958

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Modern Catholic Social Teaching: The Popes Confront the Industrial Age 1740-1958
Joe Holland
Manufacturer: Paulist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0809142252

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The impact of the industrial revolution on the social structures of industrialized nations posed a difficult challenge to the Catholic Church and its Popes. In the struggle for human and economic status, should the Church side with the new working class or with capitalist barons who, along with the old aristocracy, identified themselves as upholders of Christian civilization? In this history of papal social teaching, Joe Holland tells how the popes at first backed the status quo. Then, with the accession of Pope Leo XIII in 1878, a seismic shift took place. Leo's encyclical Rerum novarum was the first authoritative Church voice to declare that laboring people have rights--the right to fair wages, to decent living conditions, the right to organize labor unions and even to strike. Henceforth the notion of civilization, at least for the Church, would be grounded in the lives and aspirations of working people.

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The single most important change now well under way within Catholicism is its transition from a First World to a Third World entity. How this enormous shift will affect the Catholic church's role in the world economy is the subject of Michael L. Budde's book, the first world systems study of the mutual interaction of religion and political economy in the 1990s.
Budde's argument here is twofold. He contends that world Catholicism, led by its Third World majority (most notably in Latin America), will continue to develop in an increasingly anticapitalist direction; and he suggests that once-dominant First World Catholic churches (exemplified by the U.S. Catholic church), are poorly placed to respond in solidarity with their coreligionists from the Third World.
Covering a wide range of theoretical and substantive matters, The Two Churches examines religion as a source of both social legitimation and social rebellion. It demonstrates the importance of ecclesiology, a branch of theology dealing with "theories of the church," and it highlights the effect of capitalism on world Catholicism, as well as the latter's influence on the development of the capitalist order.
In his original, far-reaching analysis of the Catholic church's role in world affairs, Budde revises current views of religious institutions as subordinate social phenomena. By relating developments in the world political economy to material conditions in the Third World and in turn to the practice of Catholicism, he reveals how the Catholic church functions as a worldwide institution. He also shows how core-periphery conflicts within the church affect transnational capitalism.
As the Third World becomes more and more volatile, and as its relations with the First World further complicate the politics of the Catholic church, the questions addressed in The Two Churches demand attention with increasing urgency. Timely, thoughtful, and lucid, this book will inform and enhance our understanding of this complex, pressing issue.

Building the Free Society: Democracy; Capitalism, and Catholic Social Teaching

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Dissapointing

Building the Free Society: Democracy; Capitalism, and Catholic Social Teaching

Manufacturer: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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With a challenging foreword by Richard John Neuhaus on Christians as "resident aliens" of any earthly city, the book will interest those who wish to think more closely about the Christian contribution to social questions after the fall of communism, as it explores and critically examines a century of Catholic reflection and argument on human freedom, the just society, and the international order.

Customer Reviews:

Dissapointing.......2007-03-09

This book was a disappointment from beginning to end. Basically it is an almost unqualified love fest for Catholic social teaching from Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum to John Paul II's encyclicals. It lacks any in depth research or historical accounts. Brushes over many of the influences upon the popal encyclicals themselves by hiding the political and economic sources and positions of the various contributors to them. (white washes history)

The only area of honest criticism can be found on page 66 & 67 where it is finally admitted that Catholic social teaching has been too biased and takes a straw man position when issuing forth agaisnt Classical liberalism, but still will make no connection or comment on socialism's influence on Catholic social justice theory.

All and all I would not buy this book, but instead buy The Church and The Market, A Catholic Defense of the Free Economy, By Thomas Woods, Jr., to be found on Amazon. Com. This book was a tour de force! It was in-depth and did not pull any punches. It looked at the various encyclicals with a much more thorough eye and did not allow the glamor of ones faith to soften the intellectual edges of ones reason.

George Weigal et al. are neo-Catholics and Neo-Cons and their biases and their lack of intellectual depth, honesty and rigor show throughout their many books.

If you want a light hearted easy walk through the social encyclicals presented by "true believers" then this book is for you. If you wish to eschew the lobotomy, buy The Church and the Market.

The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism (Social Science Classics Series)

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one of the twentieth century's greatest...
from the very first page
Probably more relevent now than ever!

The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism (Social Science Classics Series)
George Bernard Shaw
Manufacturer: Transaction Publishers
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0887380050

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1928. Shaw, Irish comic dramatist, literary critic, Socialist propagandist and winner of the Nobel prize in 1925, was an ardent socialist, a member of the Fabian Society, and a popular public speaker on behalf of socialism. The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism is his most notable nonfiction work. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

Customer Reviews:

one of the twentieth century's greatest..........2004-03-08

"The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" was published in 1927, when George Bernard Shaw was at the very pinnacle of his success as a playwright. (He had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for "St Joan" two years earlier.)

It purported to be a political primer for the "intelligent woman" who knew little or nothing of politics. This literary device of addressing an imaginary, ignorant audience allowed Shaw to start from the beginning. Clear your mind of all preconceptions, he said, and let us first look at the facts. What are the conditions under which the mass of mankind lives in the industrialized world? What is "politics"? What is the real meaning of the words "capitalism" and "socialism" and "communism"? What is the present state of society if examined without any of these labels? Why is it like this?

Having cleared the ground, Shaw then addressed that most fundamental of all social questions, the question to which his entire adult life had been devoted. How is the wealth of the world to be divided up?

Shaw was (to put it mildly) a committed socialist. And The Guide pulled no punches in asserting that socialism is the only sane answer to that question. However, he played scrupulously fair in his presentation of the facts. He described with absolute clarity the causes, conditions and present (1927) state of private property, political parties, banking, revolutions, facism, the stock market, credit, the national debt, universal adult suffrage, investment, strikes and poverty.

In short, the primary value of this extraordinary work was its conceptual clarity. Whether or not readers shared Shaw's opinions, merely by reading the book they could not help but greatly - and usefully - increase their understanding of their world.

The question for modern readers, seventy-five years later, is whether The Guide can help us to understand the modern world.

The answer is Yes.

As a test, borrow a copy of the book and read the chapter entitled "Banking". Just that one chapter. If you do not understand at least twice as much about what a bank is, and does, than you did before, then you need not bother with anything else in the book and you can return it with thanks. Otherwise, as a clincher, read the chapter entitled "Revolutions". I will be very surprised if you do not then buy your own copy.

That said, there are a couple of traps. Firstly, Shaw's English is now somewhat dated. He often uses very much longer sentences, with more subordinate clauses, than we commonly do today. This is ultimately helpful in conveying his meaning, but not immediately so to the modern reader. The Guide is therefore somewhat wearing to read for any length of time. It is not an easy book to skim.

Secondly, since Shaw does have a definite polemical intention (he wants us to become socialists), and since few writers have ever been more skilful at delivering a message while appearing not to, the reader has to be permanently on guard against taking Shaw's statements as facts. He is expert at the art of covertly leading readers to his own conclusions. The effort required to resist all this is also rather exhausting.

These shortcomings aside, and they are significant, The Guide stands as one of the great literary political works of the twentieth century. It is also one of the few genuinely hopeful contributions to the discipline we now call sociology. This reflects neither an earlier, cheerier worldview (in 1927 in England there was every reason to despair), nor a utopian naïveté (Shaw had a clearer sense than most of the horrors of which mankind is capable). No, the sense of hope that suffuses The Guide derives from Shaw's own inextinguishable, strangely realistic generosity of spirit.

In comparing Shaw with his famous fellow-socialist author H.G.Wells, C.P.Snow commented that "Shaw was a kinder, but colder man". He was. And both his kindness and his coldness inform The Guide: matchless detachment, combined with the utmost charity and reasonableness.

"The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism" was George Bernard Shaw's political magnum opus. He had spent much of the previous forty years writing about politics and society, often in the guise of drama, musical criticism or "prefaces" to his published plays. And he continued to do so for the remainder of his life, the last major political work appearing only a few years before his death in 1950.

But this book is It. "The Intelligent Woman's Guide" summarizes all his thinking, all his reading, all his public speaking, all his experience, all his hopes and all his fears for the future. It is the culmination of a lifetime dedicated to the betterment of mankind by political means. In his twenty more years of work - including "The Apple Cart", "Too True to be Good", and "Everybody's Political What's What" - Shaw never wrote anything as good again. There was nothing more he needed to say.

from the very first page.......2002-08-06

this guy shaw looks at a seemingly complicated matter the most convincing way i have ever encountered. from the very first page this is fascinating business written with clarity and in an easy-to-understand way.
read this book - it will explain much of the world we live in!
and in addition it will give you an excellent idea of how to approach any problem from a very practical and day-to-day point of view.

Probably more relevent now than ever!.......1999-05-22

Absolute genius. Shaw gives a understandable and accurate explantion of socialism and capitalism. It seems particularly revelvant in today's societal struggles with class, race, and politics. A book everyone who is interested in social justice should read.

Protestantism, Capitalism, and Nature in America

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Informative and valuable

Protestantism, Capitalism, and Nature in America
Mark Stoll
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0826317804

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Environmentalists have often blamed Protestantism for justifying the human exploitation of nature, but the author of this cultural history argues that, in America, hard-boiled industrialists and passionate environmentalists sprang from the same Protestant root.

Protestant Christianity—Calvinism especially—both helped industrialists like James J. Hill rationalize their utilization of nature for economic profit and led environmental advocates like John Muir to call for the preservation of unspoiled wilderness. Biographical vignettes examine American thinkers, industrialists, and environmentalists—Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Smith, William Gilpin, Leland Stanford, Gifford Pinchot, Aldo Leopold, and others—whose lives show the development of ideas and attitudes that have profoundly shaped Americans' use of and respect for nature.

The final chapter looks at several contemporary figures—James Watt, Annie Dillard, and Dave Foreman—whose careers exemplify the recent Protestant thought and behavior and their impact on the environment.

An intellectual and cultural history of American religious thinking and how it has affected the natural world through industrialization and environmentalism.

Customer Reviews:

Informative and valuable.......2005-02-05

The title says it all. Anyone interested in U.S. environmentalism and conservation (or ecotheology in general) will benefit from this book. It is lucid, informative and unimpassioned, as it should be. I will retain it as a reference.

The Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism: Toward Global Democracy (Power and Social Change--Studies in Political Sociology)

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Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism: Toward Global Democracy
The Spiral of Long Cycle Research

The Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism: Toward Global Democracy (Power and Social Change--Studies in Political Sociology)
Terry Boswell , and Christopher Chase-Dunn
Manufacturer: Lynne Rienner Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1555878245

Customer Reviews:

Spiral of Capitalism and Socialism: Toward Global Democracy.......2000-05-23

An outstanding work which argues convincingly that current problems of the globe can and must be solved in the spirit of global democracy. The authors understand global democracy as global social democracy. In a masterful syntesis of a vast array of literature they give a new meaning to the expressions "freedom from oppression" and "freedom from want". A major problem of contemporary international organizations and, indeed, of world society and the world economy is their lack of democratic input and responsibility, according to the authors. The book contains a vision of worldwide democratic socialism which is refreshingly removed from the acrimonies of the Cold War and, instead, is looking toward the future. A splendid publication.

The Spiral of Long Cycle Research.......2000-05-17

Boswell and Chase Dunn's book is an absolutely important contribution to present-day world systems research and political science in general. At breathtaking visionary power they re-interpret the course of world history since the beginnings of the capitalist world system to the revolution of 1989 and beyond. Where others speculate on the nature of the future of the international system, the authors present solid scholary knowledge, based on their own research and on that of others, masterly presented to the reader. Their vision of long Kondratieff cycles, hegemonial powers, revolutions, and the social democratic possibilities of changes will dominate the debate for many years to come. The main political conclusion of their research is: it will be up to the alternative and social democratic forces in Europe to qualitatively and quantitatively shape the chance for a transformation of the world system.

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This major synoptic work is remarkable for its author’s holistic treatment of the environment and social justice as inescapably related questions. He refuses to analyze the industrialized and developing countries as though they are so different that any understanding of the one can ignore the other. Saral Sarkar argues that the USSR bumped up against environmentally defined and resource-related limits to growth at a relatively early stage; but this does not mean that a free market, globalized capitalist economy will indefinitely escape a similar fate. Nor will a modified "eco-capitalism," as promoted by some sections of the Western environmental movement, provide a sufficiently grounded solution to the twin problems of environmental destruction and social injustice. The author looks, therefore, to a fundamentally different future--one in which our very notion of progress is differently conceived.

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An unique vision of a sustainable future.......2003-09-03

"Eco-Socialism or Eco-Capitalism" by Saral Sarkar offers an unique vision of a sustainable future. Mr. Sarkar was born and educated in India and wrote the book while residing in Germany, where he has been active in the Green Party and related political and environmental movements for many years. The author's education, work and multi-cultural life experiences combine to produce a nuanced, thoughtful and mature work that should intrigue readers interested in political theory and the environment.

Mr. Sarkar believes that the ecology movement must recognize that socialism, not capitalism, offers the best hope for society to realize the state of "biocentric equality" that will be needed to secure human rights and stabilize the environment. Central to the author's analysis is the "limits to growth" paradigm espoused by Green Economics thinkers such as Herman Daly, which posits that economic growth achieved through increasing natural resources consumption can not continue indefinitely. But the author goes well beyond Daly and his peers by insisting that a steady state economy (SSE) can not succeed in a free market capitalist system; rather, it can only be viable in the context of socialism.

Mr. Sarkar does not toss the word "socialism" around lightly. In fact, he devotes two chapters extensively studying why socialism failed in the USSR. In short, Mr. Sarkar posits that environmental constraints combined with widespread moral degeneration led to a crisis that could not be resolved by the USSR's privileged political/bureaucratic class. While many might argue that the USSR failed on a number of other levels as well, I found the author's analysis credible and well-supported by the evidence. Importantly, the analysis provides several take-aways that are later incorporated into the author's proposed eco-socialist theory, such as the importance of morals to the building and maintenance of a well-functioning society.

Mr. Sarkar examines the natural resource base that the present world economy depends upon in order to ascertain if new technologies might be able to offer us hope in overcoming scarcity. The author surveys various energy sources and technologies to provide detailed answers to this question. He also critiques the fashionable view that the contemporary "dematerialized" information society is less environmentally destructive than yesterday's industrial society. Mr. Sarkar's thoughts that follow from this discussion about what must be done in the face of the world's dwindling stock of natural resources might appear to some to be commonsense but are nonetheless well worth reading. Indeed, the author's candor is refreshing and welcome, especially when compared with the media's usual message of consumerism without end.

Mr. Sarkar presents his vision of how an eco-socialist society might succeed and discusses the notion of progress in the final two chapters of the book. The author believes that eco-socialism can rightly fuse the moral strengths of socialism with the pragamtism of the ecology movement to create a society that is free from greed, war, exploitation and rascism. This is achieved by embracing policies that are widely acknowledged in Leftist circles, including: full employment, women's rights, pay equity, limits on private enterprise, greater emphasis on the local production of goods and services, increased democratic participation, and so on. But the author also makes a very strong argument for controversial measures such as the rationing of consumer goods, strict controls on population growth, and more. Mr. Sarkar's justification is that the inconveniences created for some will be more than offset by the creation of a harmonious, peaceful and stable planet for all.

As wars around the world intensify due to struggles over increasingly scarce resources such as oil, Mr. Sarkar's opinion that humanity must eventually choose "either eco-socialism or barbarism" may well be true. To that end, I highly recommend this outstanding book to those who might be interested in reading thought-provoking ideas from an uniquely visionary, compassionate and intelligent author.

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