June 21, 2010 | In: Culture, Labor, Society, Subsidiarity
The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Catholic Social Teaching
I am always fascinated when God introduces an idea to me from many directions all at once. It started with receiving a book from my brother-in-law that got me thinking about running From the Abbey as a serious business. From there, I have been led through a string of resources from a variety of places that have all brought me to the same theme. Here’s the list:
- Making Work at Home Work by Mary M. Byers (from my brother-in-law)
- A podcast from The Chesterton Society on an economic theory called Distributivism (see more below)
- Various “training” / motivational CDs from Amway International’s training program
- Conquer the Chaos: Hot to Grow a Successful Small Business Without Going Crazy by Clate Mask and Scott Matineau
So, we have an Evangelical Christian source (1), a Catholic source (2), a secular source from a specific (“affiliate”) business model (3), and a secular source from a general business writer (4). Strangely, all four of these sources shared the same core messages:
- The old corporate model of capitalism is broken
- People are seeking freedom by going into business for themselves
- Going into business for yourself is better because it puts the decision making power in the hands of a few people
- Going into business for yourself means that your skills and creativity can truly be appreciated, and can truly be applied to serving others
- If they are able to do it right (of course, how to do it right is where each source differs), private entrepreneurs can find financial security (the two secular sources stress getting rich)
- Getting rich is not the answer to happiness for the private entrepreneur (yes, even the secular resources said this!)
- True freedom comes from having a transcendent purpose in your work and having more time to invest in relationships and family (yes, even the secular sources said this!)
So, all of these sources extolled the virtues of private entrepreneurship because it has the potential to give people control over their own lives, to truly serve others, to discover the dignity of their work and to get their priorities straight!
The second source, the podcast from the Chesterton Society, introduced me to an economic / social theory called Distributivism. This theory specifically promotes the idea of family-run businesses, seeming to capture the free market idea of capitalism while at the same time embracing the agrarian family-based economy promoted by Thomas Jefferson. I have not researched this theory extensively, so I cannot evaluate it personally. However, its proponents include G.K. Chesterton and Hillaire Belloc. On the other hand, its critics include the ACTON Institute, a trusted source for balanced views on the economy. I included links to both below for your further research and mine.
Whether you embrace Distributivism or not, Catholics can agree that private entrepreneurship is one way to promote the principle of subsidiarity. The freedom and control that private entrepreneurship gives to families and individuals is a very good thing. Going into business for yourself is not the solution for everybody. As all four of these sources also recognized, there are many challenges and dangers in doing so (becoming enslaved to your own desire for success, for example). However, it is one solution that is not often encouraged in our culture or in our educational system. Perhaps it should be.
I am finding that working at home, while not yet a financial solution for our family, offers me the ability to remain creative and actively engaged with the world while I stay home with my children. Finding the necessary balance between work and home is very difficult when they happen in the same place (I just told my 4-year-old to leave me alone so I could finish writing this article). However, there are also many joys – including allowing my children to participate in my work and being able to take breaks to read to them and play with them. I am growing in confidence that this will become more than a hobby business, that I can make it financially successful by finding the right tools and creating the right systems. I am greatly enjoying the creative challenge involved in building this business. Of course, since From the Abbey exists primarily as an apostolate, as the business grows so does my ability to serve Christ and His Church (including you!).
If you are looking for a solution to the slavery of the job, check out the resources that I found (and others – I am still hunting for more!) and see if a home-based business is right for you. It is a challenge and a risk, but it could just be the path to the freedom you are looking for. Subsidiarity works!
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2 Responses to The Entrepreneurial Spirit and Catholic Social Teaching
Tim
June 21st, 2010 at 5:18 pm
Having had many jobs, I used to think work was slavery in the current “corporate” world – until I was laid off for one and one half year. Now I think every day is a blessing. Work no doubt provides money for my family. But more importantly it has allowed me to grow morally by teaching me self control, self denial, organization, and the gift of hard work in providing for others.
What you are doing is great. But as in the corporate world as well in the private world there are bad people. There is a need for correction. Let us not throw out the corporate world because of those that need correcting. Let us fix them and move ahead as a nation. Destructive criticism is easy. Let us build up a better world together. Your example will not be lost as well as my bosses example is not going unnoticed.
Jeffrey S. Arrowood, MTS
June 21st, 2010 at 8:14 pm
I totally agree with you. I guess some of my phrasing was colored by my recent reading – the “slavery of the job” is present whether you work for your self or for someone else, and only reflects the fact that “toil” in our labor is a result of Original Sin. Furthermore, corporations do play important roles in society, including providing employment and taking on projects that small companies could never handle due to lack of resources and manpower.
The main points the Church makes is that work has dignity and value, and that the worker needs to be valued as a full person, complete with his or her skills and creativity. When that happens in the corporate world, society is strengthened. Private entrepreneurship is another avenue for it to happen.
Yes, evil and corruption happen at any level of society. However, in the corporate world the greed of the leaders affects many more people than would the greed of a private entrepreneur. That’s one point distributivism makes. However, as I said, I’m not throwing my hat in with the distributivists before I research them more. When ACTA calls it a problematic movement, I take notice. The size of the corporation is a blessing and a curse.
You are right. I should not pit one option against the other. A healthy economy needs large corporations, private entrepreneurs, and everyone in between. My message should be to promote private entrepreneurship as another option, not as a solution over and against employment.
Thanks for calling me back to balance!