Centesimus Annus awards prize
for work on St Thomas Aquinas and the economy
 |
| (fille photo) Pope Francis with members of the Centesimus Annus - Pro Pontifice Foundation during an audience at the Vatican |
In order to promote the knowledge of the Social Doctrine of
the Catholic Church, the “Centesimus Annus – Pro Pontifice” Foundation awards
the “Economy and Society” International prize to a publication in the field of
economics and social issues.
By Christopher Wells
On Wednesday the Centesimus Annus Foundation awarded the
“Economy and Society” International Prize to Dr Mary Hirschfeld, a professor at
Villanova University, for her book, “Aquinas and the Market: Toward a Humane
Economy”.
The prize is awarded to a work “which stands out for its
original contribution to in depth study and implementation of the Social
Doctrine of the Church, is of proven doctrinal soundness and exceptional
quality, and is accessible to the general public.”
In the press release announcing the award, the Centesimus
Annus Foundation said that Dr Hirschfeld’s book “offers a fascinating dialogue
between the world of economics and the world of faith”.
Ahead of Wednesday’s award ceremony, Dr Hirschfeld talked
with Vatican News about her work. “Basically what I ask is, ‘If I start with
Aquinas’ principles about who the human person is, and what sort of world we
live in, namely one that is created by God, how would I want to think about
economics in light of those assumptions?’ And I work it out,” she said.
She said that what is “beautiful” about starting with St
Thomas Aquinas, “is he allows me to keep a fair amount of what economists have
taught us about how the markets work… His framework permits us to make sense of
those insights and to use them.”
Dr Hirschfeld points out that St Thomas is beginning from “a
view of the human person that’s different from the one that economists use.”
For Aquinas, “the human person, the ultimate happiness of the human person lies
in God. But the happiness in this life is ordered around the higher goods that
make life worth living.” Those higher goods, she said, “allow us to reflect
God’s goodness in this life. Then that’s the core of happiness in this life for
Aquinas… And if that’s what happiness in this life is about, then material
wealth is to serve those goods.”
With the “Economy and Society” prize, the Centesimus Annus –
Pro Pontifice Foundation intends to honour works that reach out to a large
audience and are the expression of a strong Christian commitment to economic
and social activites. Previous winners include Spanish, Italian, French,
and German works. The “Economy and Society” prize is awarded every two years on
the occasion of the International Conference of the Foundation.
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