Freedom at Stake. The Inner Contradictions of Capitalism

The text begins with the distinction between market economy and capitalism, interpreting the latter as a theory of “philosophy of history”, as a worldview, and not as a mere organizational pattern of economic relationships. This makes the discussion on capitalism relevant for any religious thinking, as it is strictly linked with the meaning of life. Having established this distinction, the chapter focuses on freedom, the core concept upon which capitalism has based its legitimacy. Capitalism is rooted in freedom as self-determination, a concept which is positive although unilateral. Freedom should also be developed in its relation to self-fulfilment and relationship with others. On the basis of the illustrated capitalist system’s characteristics and of a more suitable semantics of freedom, the need for a radical critical analysis of capitalism must be declared in the name of freedom. Such a critique begins from those goods which cannot be commodified - and therefore cannot be purchased- and the importance of relationships: these criteria interact as a method of measuring the economy itself.