Catholic Church On Capitalism In Developing Countries Analysis

The Catholic Church’s perspective on the effects that capitalism in first world countries has on those in developing countries can be understood by recognizing the unequal, the inhumane, and the unethical matters that come from it, as well as the waste that it causes. Capitalism is an economic and political system in which private owners control a country’s trade and industry for profit rather than by state. Considering this is dehumanizing, the question to analyze is what the Church’s perspective on the effects that capitalism in developed countries has on the people in developing countries. To fully answer the question, all concerns regarding the poor in this situation must be examined, including the unequal, the inhumane, and the unethical

Buying low and selling high guarantees success, however, it is inhumane. Companies employ people from the cheapest countries, to work in poor working space conditions, with low wages, and little to no workers rights. Capitalism completely disregards the people who are producing the goods and services, and that they are suffering. The Catholic Church’s perspective on how capitalism in developed countries affects those in developing countries can be described by saying that “the majority [of people in developing countries] are deprived of almost all possibility of acting on their own initiative and responsibility, and often subsist in living and working conditions unworthy of the human person” (Paul VI, Gaudium Et Spes). Pope Paul VI is perfectly wording how the people in developing countries are affected; they are left working in poor conditions that is not worthy for any human, and that no person should be put into this position. It is as if the people are completely disregarded as humans. In another encyclical, Pope John Paul II goes on to state that “in this situation the individual and the people become ‘objects’, in spite of all declarations to the contrary and verbal assurances” (John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis). In saying this, Pope John

The unethical behavior that is associated with capitalism is unavoidable. With greed comes self-indulgence, dishonesty, corruption, abuse of power, dilapidation, fraud, and numerous other things. These issues affect those in developing countries as they fall victim to a system in which they have very little ways of changing. The Catholic Church believes that “the progressive development of peoples is an object of deep interest and concern to the Church. This is particularly true in the case of those peoples who are trying to escape the ravages of hunger, poverty, endemic disease and ignorance; of those who are seeking a larger share in the benefits of civilization and a more active improvement of their human qualities.” (Paul VI, Populorum Progressio). Pope Paul VI is speaking of the companies and people who are consumed and compelled by greed into wanting more to benefit their lives as well as their own selves. The Church’s view on how capitalism is unethical is that “it is wrong from the ethical point of view to disregard human nature” (John Paul II, Centesimus Annus). It is not morally correct to disregard those who are in developing countries and are affected by capitalism in developed countries, as they are treated very poorly and more often than not, completely forgotten about. Greed prompts many into doing things that are morally