Economics, social justice and the common good: Roman‐Catholic perspectives

Abstract

PurposeAims to discuss whether Roman Catholicism can legitimately lay claim to a distinctive brand of Economics, as well as to concepts of Social Justice and the Common Good.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual approach is taken.FindingsTo what traditionally has been packaged under the rubric of “Social Catholicism” the author has assigned the alias “Roman‐Catholic Social Economy(ics)”. This has the effect of rechristening and casting in English dress what emerged unequivocally (and parochially) asÉconomie politique chrétiennein a realm of thought and language where the adjective “Christian” was virtually synonymous with Franco‐Roman‐Catholic, and the (ideological/praxeological) theses assailed lay across the channel in Smithian political economy and British industrial society. The formal, official definition of “Social Justice” is enunciated in nothing less than a papal Encyclical Letter. Forms and formulations of “Social Lutheranism” there are, but a tradition thereof remains to establish itself. The R‐C concept of social justice is defined in terms of the Common Good, which inextricable bond is well‐documented and elaborated.Originality/valueContributes to the literature on Roman‐Catholic perspectives on economics and social justice.