Koncepcje moralności gospodarczej w posoborowej teologii moralnej

Abstract

Since the middle of the last/20th century a dynamic development of social moral theology may be noticed, which is manifested, among others, in an ever more courageous taking up the issues that are – it seems – rather distant from the traditional problems considered by the Church moral sciences. One of them is the economic-social life that has become the most important field of analyses and evaluations undertaken by theologians-moralists taking up social issues. The phenomenon is on the one hand a response to the call of the Vatican Council II, which among the fundamental tasks that moral theology as a moral science is facing mentioned also “de-privatisation” of Christian moral message. On the other hand, it has become clear for theologians-moralists of the post-Council period that the subject of the theological-moral reflection they undertake should be the new processes connected with a dynamic development of various human activities, development of civilisation, progress in culture etc., including economic-social life. As a consequence of this process a number of works have been written by individual moralists or by teams on economic morality. The present article undertakes the task of characterising the most important conceptions of economic morality. The point of departure for the conducted analyses was the problem of reorientation of moral theology that proved to be a peculiar Sitz im Leben for the conceptions of economic morality originated after the Vatican Council II (I). Next, arguments were presented for undertaking economical problems by moralists (II), and also the main trends in ethical reflection connected with economicsocial life were shown (III). In the last part of the analyses (IV) the most important conceptions of economic morality after the Vatican Council II were briefly characterized – both works by individual authors (B. Häring, M. Vidal, E. Chiavacci) and collective ones (Corso di morale and Trattato di etica teologica). The conducted studies make it clear that the progress of economic ethics made up till now, that is contained in the most important textbooks and works on moral theology that are complementary to them, is positive. Moral theologians of the post-Council age in the context of a dynamic development of the very social issue, new economic relations and moral dilemmas accompanying them, have undertaken to meet the challenge to “saturate" modern economy with the prophetic message of the Gospel and to make it more sensible to the changing needs of contemporary man and society, but also to make it respect what is significant and unchangeable in the human person. Social moral theology, while being a factor that humanizes and transforms the economic reality, gives a significant contribution to the Church’s ethical-economic message that is an integral part of its teaching.