The Ethical Foundation of the Market Economy: A Reflection on Economic Personalism in the Thought of Luigi Sturzo (Essay‪)‬

Luigi Sturzo (1871-1959)--Sicilian priest, intellectual, and founder of the Italian Popular Party--produced a corpus of serious reflection on the moral foundation of the free economy. My intent here is to discuss four theoretical foundations that enable a link to be developed between classical liberalism, the market economy, and Catholic social thought: methodological personalism; the interdependence of moral, political, economic, and cultural liberty; the separation of powers; and the creative subjectivity of the human person. Each of these elements are found in the thought of Luigi Sturzo and John Paul II, who, in my view, contribute substantially to the development of economic personalism. "What is liberalism? It is 'humanistic,' which means: It starts from the premise that the nature of man is capable of good and that it fulfills itself in 'community,' that his destination stretches beyond his material existence, and that we are debtors in respect of every individual, as man in his unicity, that forbids us to lower him to simply a means. It is therefore individualistic, or, if one prefers, personalistic."