Speakers Corner Liberal Social

1993 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics laureate Douglass C. North speaks on the formation of human societies. Restricted social orders continue to be the norm in most of the contemporary world. These limited access societies are ruled by elites through monopolies or rents. These coalitions are based on personal ties, hence he calls such societies “natural” states. However, a number of countries have developed into open access societies where competition in economic and political markets, instead of rent-creation, sustains civil order.

National Institute for Policy Studies President Mario Taguiwalo explains the economic and social background that gives birth to Philippine civil society. He expounds on its rise during the Marcos dictatorship and its continued flourishing in restored democracy. He speaks of civil society as the central channel of engaging politicians due to the lack of ideologically based political parties in the country.

The final part of this installment has Fr. Robert Sirico touching upon the correlation between business ethics and corruption. He explains that personal corruption is one reality, but that it is institutional corruption which forces the lack of business ethics. This occurs when the political apparatus extends into the private sphere.

In the fourth installment of this series, Fr. Robert Sirico asserts that reconciling Christian values and free market principles begins with giving importance to profit. Profit is the result of an activity planned well and the fruit of human labor. However, the solution to poverty is not redistribution. It is creating mechanisms for superfluous wealth production that let people share.

Fr. Robert Sirico discusses how economics, liberty and morality center on the human person. A free environment creates opportunities that allow him to choose and harness resources. Criticism against economics arises because many choices are based on subjective values. However, it is a misconception to understand morality as relativistic. Virtue is something consistent across all humanity. Morality underlines the responsibility to create a flourishing society that is worthy of human dignity.

The second instalment of this series features Fr. Robert Sirico's commentary on the film: The Call of the Entrepreneur as well as portions of the open forum that followed. Fr. Sirico discusses the value that business brings to a society. He explains that it is through entrepreneurship that the poor's hopes are met and their needs are addressed. He stresses that in order to have this, liberty is required. Without freedom, the human spirit and its creativity are discouraged.