Prof. Franz Josef Stegmann Bethlehem Social ... - Ordo Socialis

Stegmann
competition was a natural plant" growing be itself: according to our "conviction, it is a
cultivated plant 106 that must be tended, pruned and nursed.
3.8 Framework and individual moral commitment
"The framework is the main place where morality in the market economy is to be situated". 107
This insight does not make individual moral commitment unnecessary and superfluous, as the
framework is sometimes accused of doing. On the contrary, individual economic participants
have to observe the rules of the framework that have been enacted to regulate their economic
activities - their "moves in the economic as well as to regulate the economy as a whole. and
must in no way avoid or trick them. This may often demand great moral strength.
On the other hand, being citizens, both employees and employers have the political and
ethical responsibility to be involved in and to contribute to shaping this framework as well us
to contribute their political and moral convictions - for instance, by the election of members to
parliament. Democracy "means that the people themselves must take charge of ethics"; and in
a democratic society the majority decides on the content of the framework and determines its
details. Therefore, “as many as possible" should make their “consciences heard" and their
"voting power felt on matters of basic principle". 108 Finally, in spite of competition, within the
framework the individual market participants can make additional efforts for social,
ecological or - in general terms - moral purposes. As long as fellow competitors do not exploit
such efforts, which are connected with expenses and costs, but perhaps take them on and
continue them, higher moral standards will emerge.
If we consider human nature realistically, we recognise that moral appeals to the conscience
of single individuals, expect too much from these individuals and overtax them whenever they
are economically punished for their moral behaviour - by higher expenses or renunciation of
economic advantages. The great importance of the framework must therefore not he
overlooked. Moral appeals work best in one-to-one relationships, as in a family or circle of
friends. The thesis of the framework as the main place of morality in market economy
emphasises that "the conscience of the individual person is not able to compensate for the
failings of the institution". 109 In the 19th century, Christian Social Teaching and the (German)
Catholic Social Movement oriented themselves - maybe unconsciously - to this fact when
they demanded both a "reform of the way of thinking" as well as a "reform of conditions”, to
solve the social questions of their time. 110
CONCLUSION
Market and morality, competition and social justice seem to exclude each other because economic
efforts for moral, social or whatever purposes are connected with expenses and can be
exploited by fellow competitors who do not have to bear those additional costs. Can this
106
Quoted according to Oswald von Neil‐Breuning, Trennendes und Gemeinsames in den Hauptrichtungen der
Wirtschaftswissenschaft und Wirtschaftspolitik, in: Grundfragen der Wirtschaftsordnung, Berlin 1954, 215‐231.
218.
107
See note 2.
108
Martin Prozesky, Morality of the people, by the people and for the people, in: Sunday Times, 11 July 1999.
109
Hermann Krings. Norm und Praxis. Zum Problem der Vermittlung moralischer Gebote, in: Herder‐
Korrespondenz 45 (1991) 228‐233. 230.
110
See Franz Josef Stegmann, Sozialer Katholizismus und kirchliches Lehramt: Von der Sozialreform zur
Gesellschaftspolitik. in: Theologia et Jus Canonicum. ed. by Heinrich J.F. Reinhardt, Essen 1996, 581‐598.
44