Truth, Charity, and the Dismal Science: An Economist’s Response to Caritas In Veritate

In Caritas In Veritate Pope Benedict XVI decries the present state of the world socially, politically, economically, and judicially. He sets out what should be so that each and every person can attain authentic human development, rather than remain mired in physical or spiritual poverty. While Caritas In Veritate calls upon economies, governments, and institutions to be and to do more, it fails to provide direction in terms of specific, feasible, incentive compatible socio-economic policies by which these goals can be achieved. By identifying the essential message of Caritas In Veritate, from the perspective of economics rather than theology, this article determines whether or not the temporal human development goals can be achieved, and if so, how.