Abstract
St. Francis was hostile to money and material wealth. He was also against exploitation or misuse of natural creatures and promoted voluntary poverty, sharing, and universal brotherhood. This paper examines the implications of St. Francis’s views for economics. It is argued that St. Francis’s views imply the substantive notion of the term “economic” and favor material sufficiency instead of financial efficiency. Pope Francis’s encyclical letter “Laudato si’” is consistent with and supports St. Francis’s views, which emphasize the frugality of consumption and acknowledging the intrinsic value of nature. The overall vision of St. Francis can be characterized as “The Commonwealth of Life” based on a God-centered, spiritual way of living and acting. The paper suggests that the models of a sufficiency-oriented community economy are relevant for realizing St. Francis’s legacy in today’s reality of climate change described by climate scientists as the “Hothouse Earth” pathway.
Highlights
Francis’s views, which emphasize the frugality of consumption and acknowledging the intrinsic value of nature
The paper suggests that the models of a sufficiency-oriented community economy are relevant for realizing St
There are many well-functioning and innovative community economy models in the world that organize their economic activities in a place-based, substantive way and strive for ecological sustainability (Zsolnai 2002)
Summary
We can say that modern economics aims to maximize economic profit and in doing so it cultivates human desires, develops markets, and favors instrumental value and self-interest-based ethics. This is the exact opposite that St. This is the exact opposite that St The paper does not follow the research program of studying and interpreting Franciscan economic thought (e.g., Couturier 2007; Mitchell 2009) Rather, it explores the implications of Francis’s views for an alternative conception of the economy. Francis’s views on the economy is reconstructed using new approaches and insights from contemporary economic research
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
