Subjective Value of Work as a Key to Integral Development (trans. P. Mikulska)

Flavio FELICE

Pontificia Università Lateranense, Piazza san Giovanni in Laterano n. 4, 00120 Città del Vaticano , Holy See (Vatican City State)

Patrycja MIKULSKA

John Paul II Institute, Faculty of Philosophy, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin, Poland , Poland

Abstract

The author analyzes the question of poverty in the light of the Catholic Church’s social teaching, looking at its anthropological and theological foundations in the doctrine of the creation of man in the image of God and after his likeness. In this context, drawing also on the ideas of Fr. Józef Tischner, the author shows that the appropriate concept of work as an expression of human freedom and creativity is one of the keys to the understanding of poverty as well as to finding ways to combat it. He stresses, on the one hand the necessity of establishing financial institutions accessible to the poor who through their work want to improve their economic status and, on the other, the crucial role of education in the ethics of entrepreurship, responsibility and creativity.

Summarized by Patrycja Mikulska

Keywords:

work, poverty, man as image and likeness of God, social doctrine of the Catholic Church, freedom, creativity, ethics of entrepreneurship