The Conscience of the Christian Merchant

Earlier this year, in a subcommittee hearing, Republican Senator Josh Hawley called out insurance companies for their alleged fraudulent practices after natural disasters: “At the end of the day, they just won’t pay what is due. What is required. What is just.” Hawley was not coy about the motivations for such behavior, claiming, “It is a deliberate strategy to maximize profits.” Hawley represents a growing contingent of conservatives interested in what Senator Marco Rubio has called “common-good capitalism.” In 2019, Rubio gave a lecture at The Catholic University of America, drawing heavily on Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical on capital and labor, Rerum Novarum. Rubio argued, in line with the encyclical, that laissez-faire capitalism needs to be bridled by the moral obligations employers owe to employees and, more broadly, to the common good of society. Read Full Article »