Współczesna ocena moralna zysku

Abstract

Profit is a crucial quality pertaining to the economy in its broader meaning. Accumulating wealth is an activity of man who, due to his/her natural characteristics, is obliged to evaluate his/her moral conduct in the light of ethical principles and take into consideration those ideals which, in a way, make up the purpose of any human action. Christianity offers a certain system of values and principles which allow us to pass a moral judgment on the economic aspect of human life. The analysis of profit based on Scriptural considerations need to point to the value of labour and the idea of private property. The inspired writers emphasize the centrality of the human being in their account of the material aspect of the created reality. Therefore, every profitable activity ought to be subordinated to the well-being of the person. The economic systems which question the fundamental value of human dignity or absolutize the material side of things need to be, according to the Bible, deemed unjust or even fatal to all humankind. On the basis of the revealed truth and the social encyclical letter of Pope Benedict XVI Caritas in veritate, three criteria of contemporary moral reflection on profit-making may be formulated: personalizing profit-making activity, enabling wealth to produce social benefits it is bound to yield, and contributing to the common good. The positive evaluation of profit-making in the perspective of these principles makes it possible for the profitable activity to contribute to the genuine growth of every member of the community along with the whole of society.