Global Journal of Human-Social Science, A: Arts and Humanities, Volume 22 Issue 8

Liberal Market Democracy Illiberal Market Democracy Free, fair, and representative elections Rule of law Separation of powers Protection of freedoms & pluralism Free, fair, and representative elections Rule by law Politicization of powers Restrictions on freedoms & pluralism II. P oints of D ivergence between CST & L iberalism Pope John XXIII reminds Catholics that they are called to assess the validity of ideological solutions to the world’s social and economic problems in the light of the Social Teaching of the Church rather than the other way around (Pope John XXIII, 1961). Nevertheless, the Catholic position towards liberalism has evolved substantially since the pope’s Gregory XVI Encyclical Letter Mirari vos which rejected freedom of conscience, freedom of opinion, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press as incompatible with the Catholic doctrine (Pope Gregorio XVI, 1832). Nor are liberal values seen today as mere instruments of Freemasonry (Pope Leo XIII, 1884). In broad terms, CST underlines that freedom is not the absolute value nor the most important social principle. Although freedom is the main expression of human dignity, man’s freedom is not absolute. Genuine freedom is the capacity to choose the moral good earmarked by God’s natural law (CSDC, 2004: 108; 138; 150-151). Whereas CST acknowledges the relevance of physical freedom from force, terror, and constraint; as well as psychological freedom to pursue the moral good; it sees love as the highest expression of freedom (CSDC, 2004: 143). While liberalism emphasizes freedom from , that is, the right to self- determination; the Catholic tradition underlines freedom to self-donation and to live by the natural law (CSDC, 2004: 138, 140, 143). In line with this ontological vision of freedom, a variety of applied arguments have been advanced to show the intrinsic limitations of liberalism and its incompatibility with CST. The following table offers an overview of the most common critics 3 : Perspective Stand Point Social ethics Liberalism encourages individualism which is corrosive to the family and civil society. It gives little room for charity and solidarity in public life. It may aggravate social and economic polarization by underscoring utilitarian values and market logic permeating all dimensions of social life. It promotes a culture of practical agnosticism by pushingreligion to the public sidelines. It may fuel consumerism and material values at the detriment of spiritual fulfillment. Liberalism may end up in moral emotivism and post- rational hyper-individualism. Political philosophy Some strains of liberalism may encourage statism because it encourages expansionary social policy as an essential tool of progress. Other strains tend to harm the provision of public services such as education, healthcare, transportation by emphasizing privatization and the individual right to choose. Bioethics Liberalism supports pro-choice, pro-divorce, pro-abortion, pro- euthanasia, pro-gender, pro- homosexual policies which are incompatible with CST. Liberalism is the main vehicle of “the culture of death”, and secular modernization that threaten Christian civilization. © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue VIII Version I 3 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 A Catholic Liberalism: An Anti-Populist Proposal 3 (Kenneth, 2019). (Deneen, 2018). (Sandel, 2013). (Carter, 1993). (Marty and Apple by, 1994). (Schindler, 1996). (Glenn, 2010). (New Polity, 2021).