Neoliberalism & Its Subdivisions

Good day TIA,

I’m currently at a Social Studies class wherein the instructor, who is unfortunately a transgender, is promoting Neoliberalism under the topic of Sociology and through its theories (Conflict theory, Structural functionalism, & Symbolic interactionism). May you please share solid Catholic teachings condemning these and how I may refute it ? I’m having a hard time browsing through Google to extract the exact quotes from Popes and other Saints.

I’m using my official academic address to confirm my genuine intention regarding this (as I have sent emails through use of my other anonymous accounts before).

Thank you for your time!

    Yours sincerely,

    N.M.


TIA responds:

Good afternoon N.M.,

Although we are not experts on the topic, we will try to answer your concern about the ideological background being taught in your college class.

You mentioned Neoliberalism, which is as vague a qualification as Liberalism. Since you noted that Neoliberalism has been presented in your college under the broader topic of Sociology, we assume that it is considered an economic system with social-political developments. As a matter of fact, it is not uncommon to hear present-day communists attacking Neoliberalism as the economic-social-political pattern that rules the West.

As far as we can see, as a Western economic system, Neoliberalism has been applied to a Capitalism that includes Macro-Capitalism, which supposes enormous multinational corporations that are disproportionate to an organic society. These companies are so big that they work like states within the State. Think about Microsoft, Google and Meta to mention just three names. Macro-Capitalism also allows the building of monumental fortunes of unclear sources, whose use certainly disturbs the normal equilibrium of society or even imposes an artificial direction to it according to their owners' agendas. Think about George Soros and Elon Musk, to mention only two.

So, we need to keep in mind our distinction between Capitalism and Macro-Capitalism when we want to apply the doctrine of the Church to both systems.

The Catholic Church has many teaching about Capitalism, some of which you may find here, here, here, here and here.

In Capitalism there are still legitimate principles of natural order such as private property, free-initiative and free-competition. Because of the presence of such principles the Popes taught that Capitalism in essence is according to Natural Law. This does not mean that there are not grave defects – such as the formation of powerful banks and a dominating international finance – which Catholic doctrine tried to correct.

The Popes taught the opposite about Socialism and Communism, whose essence is bad, precisely because they deny or corrode those principles of natural order such as private property among many others. In other words, these two socio-political systems are condemned as intrinsically evil (here, here, here, here and here).

Now then, we should also point out that those macro-companies are so powerful that they make their own laws, which are often socialist and overrule the laws of the temporal State. Thus, the approval of the Catholic Church cannot be invoked to justify those companies. Instead, it goes clearly against them.

The other systems you mentioned – Conflict Theory, Structural Functionalism and Symbolic Interactionism – seem to be new names to refer to old views.

Structural functionalism is a theory that conceives society as a complex system with interconnected parts working together to promote stability and solidarity. It considers that social institutions like the family, government and education have specific functions that are essential for society's survival and operation. It seems to us a secularized version of an organic society but without its religious aspect and without stressing sufficiently the role of the individual.

The Hegelian reaction to this seems to be conflict theory, which basically asserts that inequality is an evil in itself, and that society is constantly in turmoil because classes are constantly fighting inequality and oppression from other classes above and below them.

Symbolic interactionism is a theory that is based on the individual in contrast with structural functionalism which does not emphasize it sufficiently. This theory pretends that all reality is subjective to each man – just a symbol – and that his ideas evolve constantly, which seems to be based on German Idealism – each man builds its own reality – and the notion that there is no absolute truth.

To have a complete perspective of the content of Neoliberalism we suggest you to read the series on Inclusive Capitalism, which is the newest update of economic-social-political systems being promoted as middle-of-the-road between Capitalism and Communism. As you will see, it actually has the dynamism of Capitalism used to promote Communism. It is a socialist system of Self-Management recycled in form, but keeping the same errors.

For a historical overview of the Church condemnations of social egalitarianism and a defense of inequality, you may benefit from reading this article.

We hope that is of some assistance to you.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk