Aquinas and the Market: Toward a Humane Economy

Abstract

Achieving the good life can be a complicated undertaking. Many economic indicators suggest this elusive goal is becoming a reality for large segments of modern society. Unemployment is near a historic low, GDP continues to trend upward, and most individuals’ retirement accounts have largely recovered from the 2008 market crash. Yet, at the same time, many marriages are crumbling, countless individuals are suffering from physical or mental illness, and society appears extremely polarized on a variety of social issues. There is a disconcerting disconnect between certain economic indicators of the good life and true human flourishing. This disconnect needs to be reconciled by economists (and others), considering how
economic activities contribute to human flourishing, and founded on religious insight. This is the position Mary Hirschfeld advances in Aquinas and the Market.