The Economics of Jacques Maritain

Abstract

To honor the centenary of the birth of Jacques Maritain, the Cahiers Jacques Maritain, in the issue of November 1982, published a series of tributes to the famous Christian philosopher from friends and impor? tant personages throughout the world. In the midst of all these souvenirs and eulogies appeared a short text by Maritain himself which had never before appeared in print. The text was entitled A Society Without Money, the Only Truly Radical Revolution. It was the very last text wrote, completed on the eve of his death, the cost of a vast and fearful effort, not only of his imagination, as says, but also of his poor, fragile body. He knew his end was near. He had received the last sacrament more than a week before. On that day lost consciousness for more than a half hour, and when came to went back to his work as if nothing had happened. From then on someone had to be with him at all times to help him when moved. Four days before his death had suffered a serious fall and bore an ugly bruise above his left eye. He could no longer rise from his bed without help. On the day of his death one of the Little Brothers of Jesus, in whose community Maritain had made his profession, wrote that he continued to work until yester? day evening seated in his armchair, carefully seeking his words with that courage we know so well in him. . . . We all found him a little better, but himself felt very, very tired. What was writing and complet? ing that day was A Society Without Money. He must have felt a particular urgency to put down in more specific detail his idea of that third way, beyond both capitalism and socialism, of which had spoken so often (in general terms) throughout his life. Though this text appears to be an original draft which Maritain had no time to show to anyone or to revise in any way, it is an historically important document for two reasons. First, because it indicates the importance of this subject for Maritain himself. It is a subject which haunted him from the time first broached it in 1930 until his death, even in those years when resolved to leave the public arena (in which had struggled so long and so fruitfully) in order to devote himself completely to the life of prayer and contemplation had so