Naturaleza del obrar humano y económico en Adam Smith. Una perspectiva desde la teología moral en relación con el libre mercado

Abstract

Whether it is pretended or not, every concrete economic model, and therefore every economic theory, carries in its background an ethical proposal, since having man's actions as a central element, it is built on an anthropological model. In our opinion, economic ethics cannot be reduced to compliance with a code of rules of conduct on the part of economic agents. The position that ethics occupies in the economy affects its founding structure, that is the economic doctrine. The crisis of 2007 and the current one caused by COVID-19 have shown that the economy resembles a boat adrift in the middle of the ocean. To get back on course, it seems necessary to rethink its anthropological foundations. In this context, in order to restore ethics to its place in the economy, it appears necessary to undertake a review of the economic model of Adam Smith that prevails in Western societies. We will carry out a study of the anthropological conception of the Scottish philosopher in order to analyze it, subsequently, from the perspective of moral theology, and more specifically from the Catholic Social Teaching and the classical conception of self-love as developed by St. Thomas Aquinas, since this concept of self-love is crucial in the Adamite approach. It seems to us that, in this way, we will provide some elements to better distinguish the virtualities of the free market from its corruption. .