Economic Motivation (1)

A basic principle of modern economics is that all economic behaviour is motivated by self-interest. Self-interest is a powerful motivator of economic activity, but it seems to be contrary to Christian morality. Capitalism has lifted economic well-being in an amazing way, but capitalistic economic theory seems to require people to pursue their self-interest exclusively. The pursuit of self-interest supports economic growth, but it does not fit well with Christian morality. This is a conundrum that needs a solution.

Some economists advocate dropping traditional morality and encouraging people to think only of themselves (see Capitalism without Guilt). Christians cannot accept this option, so we need a better option. We need a theory of economic behaviour that does not contradict Christian morality. The solution is not to drop Christian morality, but to understand that modern economic theory is incorrect in assuming that all economic behaviour is motivated by self-interest. This assumption only explains some economic behaviour. For example, most people care for their families. Many people show amazing generosity to people in need. Sometimes it is self-serving, but often it is not. Economic thinking has to go beyond self-interest to explain altruistic behaviour.

The insight I gained from scholastic economics is that everything we do is for a person. Things are means to achieve ends, which are persons. The big question is which person.

The New Testament specifies five categories of person our actions can serve.

1. God
God is so amazing that everyone on earth should love him.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10:27).

Jesus said we are to love God with all we are. God must come first in everything. We must love him, because he is worthy. Love of God should drive all our actions and behaviour. Love of God takes priority over love of self and love of neighbours, but it does not contradict them, because he has not commanded us no to love ourselves.

2. Self
Loving yourself is normal. Most people to do it naturally.

Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27).

When Jesus said we should love our neighbour as our self, he recognised that it is natural for humans to pursue their self-interest, ie to love oneself. There is nothing wrong with that. We are expected to nurture our bodies (Eph 5:29). We are to seek God’s blessing (Luke 6:21). We love ourselves naturally, because that is the way that God has created us.

3. Family
Husbands and wives are required to love each other and to love their children.
Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies (Eph 5:28).
We must love our family and have a responsibility to provide for them and care for them.

4. Neighbour
Jesus commanded us to love our neighbour.

Love your neighbour as yourself (Luke 10:27).

This command extends beyond our immediate family to those who live close to or work with us. Jesus radicalised this command by extending the boundary of who is our neighbour to include all the people we encounter during everyday life. His definition includes people from different ethnic and social groups that we meet up with in various ways.

5. Others
The “Others” groups includes all the other people in the world, beyond our neighbours. Jesus said,
Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6:31).
The thieves working on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho were others, not neighbours of the Good Samaritan. People living in other countries are others in this context. We should treat others as we would like to be treated.

We are not required to love others as ourselves, or as our neighbour, as that would be impossible. Rather we are required to do to others what we would have them do to us. We do not expect others to love us, because they do not know us. However, we would like them not to harm us. We would like them to exchange their surplus production with us. We would like them to sell their expertise, if we have need of it. We do not expect them to provide stuff to us for free, because they do not know us. If we have skills that would benefit them, we would like supply them to us in return for an appropriate payment.