The relationship of the economic order to the moral ideal in the thought of Maritain, Brunner, Dewey, and Temple

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston UniversityThe first aim of this dissertation is to trace the historical development of the concern of philosophers for Political Economy. The second aim is to explore the writings of four thinkers with differing philosophical and theological perspectives whose writings have illuminated the relationship of the economic order to the moral ideal: Maritain (neo-Thomist),Brunner (nee-orthodox), Dewey (naturalist), and Temple (Christian realist). What relationships can be discerned in their thinking about economic values? (1) There seems to be no particular correlation between the metaphysical position of these philosophers and their specific suggestions concerning economic values. (2) Differing views of reason, however, do seem to affect their suggestions about economic values. Brunner finds reason corrupted by sin, and therefore distrusts all human orders. Dewey trusts only scientific reasoning in the ordering of human values. Maritain and Temple have great confidence that the economic order can be vastly improved by the organization of values in accordance with a more comprehensive reason. [TRUNCATED