A Model for Humane Economic Development: Hernando de Soto, Property Rights, and the Preferential Option for the Poor provides a constructive dialogue between the works of the Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, and Catholic social teaching in order to assist people in less developed nations (LDCs) to escape the cycle of poverty. The dissertation argues that Hernando de Soto\u27s insights to protect property rights, in conjunction with the Catholic Church\u27s theological commitment to promote human dignity and human rights, through a preferential option for the poor, offers practical resources for sound economic development to help those trapped in poverty to become more active participants in the well ordering of society. It provides a dialogue between de Soto\u27s work and Catholic social teaching to benefit both parties so that each participant can work toward the goal of transforming society into place where the dignity of all becomes manifest
