Throughout history, but particularly in the last century or so, the Catholic Church has developed a formal body of teaching on economic and political matters. Other Christian faiths have absorbed much of that work, as have non-Christians, and thus the body of Catholic Social Teaching has often...

The second edition of Catholic Social Teaching and the Market Economy is a much expanded and updated version of a previous book, published in 2007, which critically examines the case for state intervention in the economic sphere from a Catholic perspective. Throughout history, but particularly...

A market economy can nurture good human attributesIn the thirtieth IEA Discussion Paper, Philip Booth examines the moral limits to the market economy. Christians often express concerns about the way in which self interest in the market economy can become disordered or bent and thus manifest...

Modern welfare states undermine human flourishingIn the thirty-first IEA Discussion Paper, Professor Philip Booth explains how modern welfare states and high levels of public debt undermine human flourishing. His arguments are presented in the context of Catholic social teaching.Professor Booth...

At one time, the prevailing view amongst Christian clergy in Britain would have been sympathetic towards the spontaneous order of the market economy and not sympathetic towards socialism. The spontaneous order, would, of course, have included the rich tapestry of philanthropic organisations and...