Catholicism, Protestantism, and Capitalism by Amintore Fanfani

Catholicism, Protestantism, and Capitalism by Amintore Fanfani
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 In Catholicism, Protestantism, and capitalism, Fanfani supports Catholicism as an alternative to the secularized capitalist state, and he traces the history of capitalism. According to Fanfani, "the Catholic order is a supernatural order, the capitalistic order is a rational order" (118). The capitalist spirit is individualistic and focuses on utilitarian outcomes in contrast to Catholicism, which emphasizes social ideals. To the author decline in faith in Catholic countries and societies made it easier for capitalism to thrive. However, the view differs from Max Weber's idea that Protestantism is the beginning of diligence and economic enterprise (Mecklin, Fanfani & Dawson, 1936). The book highlights the spirit of capitalism is incompatible with Catholicism as the latter focuses more on social ideals.
Amintore Fanfani was born in, Arezzo province, Italy in 1908. Fanfani was a trained Catholic economist and also a politician who also painted. He majored in political economy and economic history and was a professor of that subject. He forged relations with other Catholic economists, which may have influenced his writing. Between September 1943 and April 1945, he was exiled in Switzerland, where he taught Italian refugees. He wrote books on economics, religion, politics, and painting (2003). Fanfani was a Christian Democrat who served as a Prime Minister, the minister of foreign affairs, and other different political positions in Italy. Fanfani served as the head of the United Nations General Assembly. He advocated for state intervention in the economy and influenced the nationalization of the Italian electrical industry (Fanfani, 2003)
To Fanfani, Christianity specifically, the Catholic Church represented a worldview different from capitalism as there was an unbridgeable gap between them (118). However, the idea that anti-capitalism is socialism is simplistic and ignores that often those who critique capitalism are focused on the betterment of the masses. A look into the history and evolution of capitalism provides insight into how the economic system developed and why it was not necessarily compatible with Catholicism. Catholics were more likely to focus on the masses, while capitalism is associated with individualism. Fanfani viewed "Catholic corporatism" as an alternative to capitalism and socialism, and corporatism is associated with organizing society by corporate groups or guild associations (2003). Corporatism also focuses on social justice and equality, unlike capitalism.
Fanfani emphasizes that capitalism does a poor job in promoting social justice as profit is the main criterion for business decisions, while there are human needs that do not depend on the market (2003). Fanfani understands social justice as state-directed social order principles that allow governments' fair distribution of goods. However, Fanfani's explanations on social justice carry political connotations, and there is no universal agreement on what is just socially even as individuals are exposed to ideas of virtues and justice. Achieving social justice is a challenge even in non-capitalist so...