Luigi Sturzo’s (1871–1959) popularism is an economic and political theory that has many commonalities with the German social market economy. Because of his anti-statism, the fascist regime forced Sturzo to remain in exile for twenty-two years. In this period, Sturzo mainly lived in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America additionally absorbing Anglo-Saxon approaches to capitalism and authentically fusing these with a Catholic perspective. In his views on development, Sturzo pointed out that the free market must not only exist within the rules of free competition, but must also possess an ethical perspective based on the centrality of the human person. In the light of Sturzo’s political thought, we can assert that political and social institutions should support the inclusion of all people, especially of the most poor and marginalized, according to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. Consequently, Sturzo’s ‘constitutional economics’ rejectswelfarism, emphasizes the freedom and responsibility of civil society, while questioning potentially inflationary and deficit spending policies. Such conceptual framework based on the centrality of the intermediate bodies (family, associations, groups, enterprises, etc.) could today also be useful for the socio-economic development of the least developed countries given that Sturzo’s approach balances the necessity for the competitiveness of a free market economy with the necessity from social justice drawn from Catholicism. However, from an historical point of view, although Christian Democrats had governed Italy uninterruptedly from 1946 to 1992, they had not develop Sturzo’s approach to economic policy. Their economic planning had been in line with the Italian tradition of State capitalism, especially after the death of Alcide De Gasperi in 1954. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Christian Democrat economist Nino Andreatta rediscovered Sturzo’s ideas.

Luigi Sturzo’s Socio-economic Development Theory and the Case of Italy: No Prophet in His Homeland

Flavio Felice
2019-01-01

Abstract

Luigi Sturzo’s (1871–1959) popularism is an economic and political theory that has many commonalities with the German social market economy. Because of his anti-statism, the fascist regime forced Sturzo to remain in exile for twenty-two years. In this period, Sturzo mainly lived in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America additionally absorbing Anglo-Saxon approaches to capitalism and authentically fusing these with a Catholic perspective. In his views on development, Sturzo pointed out that the free market must not only exist within the rules of free competition, but must also possess an ethical perspective based on the centrality of the human person. In the light of Sturzo’s political thought, we can assert that political and social institutions should support the inclusion of all people, especially of the most poor and marginalized, according to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity. Consequently, Sturzo’s ‘constitutional economics’ rejectswelfarism, emphasizes the freedom and responsibility of civil society, while questioning potentially inflationary and deficit spending policies. Such conceptual framework based on the centrality of the intermediate bodies (family, associations, groups, enterprises, etc.) could today also be useful for the socio-economic development of the least developed countries given that Sturzo’s approach balances the necessity for the competitiveness of a free market economy with the necessity from social justice drawn from Catholicism. However, from an historical point of view, although Christian Democrats had governed Italy uninterruptedly from 1946 to 1992, they had not develop Sturzo’s approach to economic policy. Their economic planning had been in line with the Italian tradition of State capitalism, especially after the death of Alcide De Gasperi in 1954. At the beginning of the 1990s, the Christian Democrat economist Nino Andreatta rediscovered Sturzo’s ideas.
2019
9789811394225
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11695/88679
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact