Divisible Goods and Common Good: Reáections on Caritas in Veritate
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Faith & Economics - Number 58 - Fall 2011- Pages 31-46 Divisible Goods and Common Good: 5HÁHFWLRQVRQ&DULWDVLQ9HULWDWH Francis Russell Hittinger 8QLYHUVLW\RI7XOVD Abstract: Pope Benedict XVI issued the encyclical Caritas in veritate (Benedict XVI, 2009) on the heels of the global economic crisis. It pleased some readers, dismayed others, but seemed to perplex many more. I neither defend nor quarrel with the encyclical. Instead, I hope to remove some impediments that social scientists, and especially academic economists, might have when they read social encyclicals, including Benedict’s. I make three main points. First, the term “social” in this tradition does not take LWVPHDQLQJFKLHÁ\IURPWKHVRFLDOJRRGVDQGXWLOLWLHVXVXDOO\VWXGLHGE\ VRFLDOVFLHQWLVWV6RFLDOUHIHUVLQWKHÀUVWSODFHWRPRGDOLWLHVRIVRFLDO union. Second, the Catholic tradition does not take a one-sided view of either state redistribution or the logic of private exchange. Third, while the tradition speaks of different kinds of justice, it is also quite insistent that natural and supernatural loves are the companion of justice. JEL: A12, A13, Z13. Key words: Catholic Social Doctrine, Caritas in Veritate, common good, social justice, social charity. n this paper I will not attempt to expound Caritas in veritate &9 %HQHGLFW;9, WKRURXJKO\DQGDWWKHSURSHUOHYHORIGHWDLODQG Icomplexity. Instead, I will use the encyclical as an occasion to remove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ditor’s Note: This paper was presented at a conference sponsored by the Lumen Christi Institute (lumenchristi.org), the 2011 Meeting on Economics and Catholic Social Thought, March 17-18, 2011, at the University of Chicago. Joseph Kaboski’s discussion of the paper follows. © 2011 Association of Christian Economists 32 FAITH & ECONOMICS ZKDW FDQ EH UHDVRQDEO\ DVNHG DQG H[SHFWHG LQ GRFXPHQWV RI WKLV NLQG Second, and somewhat cautiously, I want to examine the distinction between a market, an economy, and a society. I say cautiously, because although social encyclicals are usually very clear about what is meant by a society, they are not always so clear about the terms market and economy. 7KLUGDSURSRVRIWKHWLWOHRIP\SUHVHQWDWLRQ,ZLOORIIHUVRPHFRQFOXGLQJ UHÁHFWLRQVRQWKHGLVWLQFWLRQEHWZHHQGLYLVLEOHJRRGVDQGDFRPPRQJRRG Hermeneutical Issues You will have noticed that I used the word “doctrine” rather than ´WKRXJKWµ´7KRXJKWµLVDPRUHDFDGHPLFDOO\UHVSHFWDEOHWHUPLIQRWKLQJ else, it avoids the odium theologicum WKH DOOHUJLF UHDFWLRQ WR WKLQJV WKHRORJLFDOLQFOXGLQJGRFWULQHV :KLOHDOOGRFWULQHVDUHWKRXJKWV³ZKLFK HQFRPSDVVVWLOORWKHUWKRXJKWVGHÀQLWLRQVDQGGLDOHFWLFV³QRWDOOWKRXJKWV DUHGRFWULQHVDQGQRWDOOVFKRROVRIWKRXJKWDUHGRFWULQDO7KHUHDGHUZKR KDVQRWUXFNZLWKGRFWULQHVZLOOÀQGLWXVHIXOWRNHHSWKHWHUPLQWDFWMXVW DVDUHPLQGHURIWKHOLWHUDU\JHQUHWKDWKHRUVKHLVWU\LQJWRLQWHUSUHWDQG to understand. &9 LV D WHDFKLQJ OHWWHU 7KHUH DUH VHYHUDO VWDQGDUGV LQWHUQDO WR WKH SUDFWLFH RI &DWKROLF WHDFKLQJ OHWWHUV 7ZR DUH HVSHFLDOO\ LPSRUWDQW LWVKRXOGVSHDNWUXWKIXOO\DQGFRKHUHQWO\RQDVXEMHFWPDWWHUZLWKLQWKH FRPSHWHQFHRIWKHDXWKRU·VRIÀFH LWVKRXOGVSHDNLQOLJKWRIDWUDGLWLRQ RIVXFKWHDFKLQJ,QWKHFDVHRI&9SXWWLQJWRRQHVLGHWKHPDQ\UHIHUHQFHV WR VFULSWXUH ZH ÀQG DERXW WZR KXQGUHG GLVFUHWH UHIHUHQFHV WR SUHYLRXV documents reaching back to the nineteenth century. It is not so easy to LQWHUSUHWZKLFKRQHVDUHGRFXPHQWDU\WUDFNVRIVXSSRUWDQGZKLFKRQHVDUH SLYRWDOZKLFKLVWRVD\WKDWWKH\DUHWKHYHU\SRLQWVDWLVVXHIRUSXUSRVH RIFODULÀFDWLRQRUH[WHQVLRQRUDSSOLFDWLRQWRVRPHQHZVHWRIIDFWV7KH VDOLHQWSRLQWLVWKDWWKHÀUVWSULQFLSOH WRVSHDNWUXWKIXOO\DQGFRKHUHQWO\RQ DVXEMHFWPDWWHU LVYHU\PXFKFRPSOLFDWHGE\WKHVHFRQGSULQFLSOH GRLQJ VRLQWKHOLJKWRIDWUDGLWLRQ $OWKRXJKWKHDQDORJ\LVLPSHUIHFWWDNHWKH)HGHUDOLVWSDSHUVRULJLQDOO\ SHQQHG E\ -RKQ -D\ $OH[DQGHU +DPLOWRQ DQG -DPHV 0DGLVRQ RYHU D ten-month period between 1787-1788. Imagine subsequent authors who HQGHDYRU RYHU WZR FHQWXULHV WR SHUSHWXDWH WKH RULJLQDO OLQHV RI WKHLU SUHGHFHVVRUV :KDW GRHV WKH DGMHFWLYH ´IHGHUDOLVWµ VLJQLI\" (YHQ WKH seasoned interpreter will admit that it is not easy to distinguish between UHFXUUHQWSDUDGLJPVDQGFKDQJLQJFLUFXPVWDQFHVDQGWKDWLWLVHYHQPRUH GLIÀFXOWWRVD\ZKHWKHUWKHODWHUOLQHVRIWKRXJKWRXJKWWREHLQWHUSUHWHGLQ OLJKWRIWKHIRUPHURUYLFHYHUVD'RHVWKHVLOHQFHRIDSDUWLFXODUGRFXPHQW Hittinger 33 indicate that the issue has already been solved? Or, does it suggest that the present author is not prepared to tackle the issue head on? 6RFLDOHQF\FOLFDOVDUHHVSHFLDOO\DSWWREHLQJUHDGRXWRIFRQWH[WEHFDXVH WKH\UHÀWWKHWUDGLWLRQZLWKLQWKHWHUUDLQRIKLVWRULFDOO\FRQWLQJHQWWKLQJV ZDUVHFRQRPLFFULVHVDQGUHOLJLRXVSHUVHFXWLRQVWRQDPHRQO\DIHZ,W goes without saying that about these things most people already have their RZQRSLQLRQ+HQFHWKHPLVFKLHYRXVSLHFHRI-HVXLWGRJJHUHODERXW3RSH -RKQ;;,,,·VHQF\FOLFDO Pacem in terris -RKQ;;,,, %\QRZZHNQRZWKHVLPSOHWULFN 2IKRZWRUHDG3RSH-RKQ·VHQF\F 7RSOD\WKHJDPH\RXFKRRVH\RXUVQLSSHW 2I´3HDFHRQ(DUWKµDQGEROGO\FOLSLW &RJOH\ +HUH,ZLOOOLPLWP\VHOIWRRQHH[DPSOHRIWKH´FOLSLWµPHWKRG*UDSSOLQJ ZLWKWKHTXHVWLRQZKDWGRHVWKHDGMHFWLYH´VRFLDOµVLJQLI\ZKHQXVHGLQ WKH WHUP VRFLDO GRFWULQH WKH JHQHUDWLRQ RI &DWKROLF WKLQNHUV ZKR FDPH RIDJHLQWKHZDNHRIWKHHFRQRPLFWXUPRLORIWKHVDQGVZDV LQFOLQHGWRDGRSWDUHVWULFWHGXVHRIWKHZRUG´VRFLDOµ,QDUHVWULFWHGVHQVH social means economic activity and the diverse social relations which ensue upon it. 17KDWEHLQJGRQHWKHSKHQRPHQDDUHEURXJKWWRWKHEDURI PRUDOLW\FKLHÁ\MXVWLFH)RUWKHJHQHUDWLRQWKDWFDPHRIDJHLQWKHV LQWKHZDNHRIGHFRORQL]DWLRQDQGWKHHPHUJHQFHRIZKDWZDVWKHQFDOOHG the “third world,” the “social” was restricted to the political and economic SROLFLHVQHHGHGIRULQWHUQDWLRQDODLGDQGGHYHORSPHQW7KLVZDVWKHHUDRI Populorum progressio 3DXO9, WKHIRUWLHWKDQQLYHUVDU\RIZKLFK %HQHGLFW;9,·V&9ZDVPHDQWWRFHOHEUDWH LWLVXVHIXOWRNQRZWKDWPXFK RI&9ZDVZULWWHQSULRUWRWKHHFRQRPLFFULVLV However well-intentioned, the restricted meaning caused more than a OLWWOHFRQIXVLRQDPRQJ&DWKROLFVDQGZKRNQRZVZKRHOVHPLJKWKDYH come upon encyclical letters. The subject matter, along with the terms RIDUWE\ZD\RIGHÀQLWLRQVDQGGLVWLQFWLRQVZHUHFXWDQGWULPPHGIRU WKHSXUSRVHRIDGYDQFLQJSROLFLHVRQLVVXHVRISROLWLFDOHFRQRP\6RIRU H[DPSOH/HR;,,, Rerum novarum ZKLFKZDVFKLHÁ\DERXWWKH QDWXUDOULJKWWRIRUPYROXQWDU\VRFLHWLHVHVSHFLDOO\WKRVHZKLFKFRQVWLWXWH DNLQGRIVRFLDOPHPEUDQHDURXQGWKHIDPLO\EHFDPHRQWKH´UHVWULFWHGµ PHDQLQJVLPSO\DWHDFKLQJDERXWODERUXQLRQVDQGMXVWZDJHV:KLOH/HR ;,,,ZDVH[DPLQLQJVRFLDOUHODWLRQVZKLFKHQVXHXSRQWKHIDPLO\PDQ\RI KLVFRPPHQWDWRUVDVVXPHGWKDWKHPXVWKDYHEHHQVSHDNLQJRIUHODWLRQV which ensue upon economic activity. On this view, one might ÀQDOO\DUULYH 34 FAITH & ECONOMICS DWWKHIDPLO\EXWRQO\DVWKHWHUPLQDOREMHFWRIZRUNFROOHFWLYHEDUJDLQLQJ a just wage, and state law. 7KLVKDELWRILQWHUSUHWDWLRQQRWRQO\WXUQHGWKHVXEMHFWPDWWHURIVRFLDO HQF\FOLFDOVXSVLGHGRZQEXWDOVRFUHDWHGWKHLPSUHVVLRQRIDUHDG\PDGH SRQWLÀFDODFFRXQWRIHFRQRPLFVDQGHFRQRPLFSROLF\7KLVYLRODWHVERWK SULQFLSOHV LQWHUQDO WR WKH SUDFWLFH RI WHDFKLQJ OHWWHUV³VSHDNLQJ ZLWKLQ D FHUWDLQ FRPSHWHQFH RQ D JLYHQ VXEMHFW PDWWHU DQG WKH FRQWLQXLW\ RI tradition. To be sure, individual economists and social scientists might KDYHDJUHHGZLWKWKHPRUDODQGSROLWLFDOJLVWRIDSDUWLFXODUHQF\FOLFDOUHDG LQWKHUHVWULFWHGVHQVHEXWWKH\FRXOGVHHSHUIHFWO\ZHOOWKDWWKHGRFXPHQWV FRQWDLQHG YHU\ OLWWOH HFRQRPLF WKHRU\7KH UHVWULFWHG VHQVH RI WKH ZRUG ´VRFLDOµ WKHUHIRUH REVFXUHG UDWKHU WKDQ FODULÀHG GLDORJXH EHWZHHQ economists, social scientists, and CSD. For more than a century, popes warned that this restricted sense was PLVWDNHQ/HR;,,, WKHIDWKHURIWKLVWUDGLWLRQZURWH´ For, it is WKHRSLQLRQRIVRPHDQGWKHHUURULVDOUHDG\YHU\FRPPRQWKDWWKHVRFLDO TXHVWLRQLVPHUHO\DQHFRQRPLFRQHZKHUHDVLQSRLQWRIIDFWLWLVDERYH DOO D PRUDO DQG UHOLJLRXV PDWWHUµ SDUD 3RSH %HQHGLFW PDNHV WKH VDPHSRLQWDWWKHRXWVHWRI&9&6'KHZDUQVGRHVQRWSUHWHQGWREH PHUHO\DQDQDO\VLVRIVRFLDOVFLHQWLÀF´GDWDµ SDUD ,QIDFWORQJEHIRUH he became pope, Cardinal Ratzinger had registered the complaint that VRFLDOGRFWULQH ZDV EHLQJ WUDQVIRUPHG LQWR D VHFRQGUDWH VRFLDOVFLHQFH that mutes distinctively Catholic insights in history and society. 2 ,QGHHGWKHWLWOHRIKLVHQF\FOLFDO³Caritas in veritate in re sociali— LQGLFDWHVFOHDUO\HQRXJKWKHSURSHUORFDWLRQDQGPHDQLQJRIWKHDGMHFWLYH ´VRFLDOµ SDUD 1RW´VRFLDOµLQWKHUHVWULFWHGVHQVHRIUHODWLRQVHQVXLQJ upon economic activity, but rather: in social matters, love rooted in WUXWK´6RFLDOµWKHUHIRUHVLJQLÀHVWKHGLYHUVHPRGHVDQGOHYHOVRIKXPDQ IUDWHUQLW\ IULHQGVKLSFRPPXQLRQ QDWXUDODQGVXSHUQDWXUDO It is always important to understand what a thinker is looking through and what he is looking at :KHUHDVWKHUHVWULFWHGPHDQLQJRI´VRFLDOµDWWHPSWV WR ORFDWH VRFLDO UHODWLRQV DQG LVVXHV RI MXVWLFH after economic activity, %HQHGLFW LV LQWHUHVWHG LQ PRGHV RI IULHQGVKLS ´ within normal economic DFWLYLW\DQGQRWRQO\RXWVLGHLWRU¶DIWHU·LWµ SDUD 7KHVXEMHFWPDWWHU WKHUHIRUHLVVRFLDOUHODWLRQVKLSV0RUHRYHUDV%HQHGLFWUHSHDWHGO\LQVLVWV VRFLDOUHODWLRQVDUHQRWEHLQJFRQVLGHUHGH[FOXVLYHO\XQGHUWKHDVSHFWRI MXVWLFHEXWPRUHEURDGO\RUGHHSO\XQGHUWKHDVSHFWRIIULHQGVKLS 2Q WKH VXUIDFH WKH UHVWULFWHG PHDQLQJ ZLOO ORRN PRUH DJUHHDEOH WR economists, but it should be eschewed. First, because it promises more than what can be delivered in either empirical or abstract economics. Hittinger 35 6HFRQG EHFDXVH LW REVFXUHV WKH VXEMHFW PDWWHU RI