Rerum Novarum: Encyclical Letter Of Pope Leo XIII On The Condition Of The Working Classes

Written in 1891, this papal encyclical discusses the problems of workers in the modern world (which was, at the time of this letter's writing, the transition from an agricultural to an industrialized economy). Pope Leo's letter could have been written yesterday since he was discussing issues like private property, the rights of workers, the obligations of the wealthy, and the importance of voluntary organizations in Europe and the United States.I found much of what the Pope said making perfect s [...]

The entire time I was reading this I kept thinking to myself: "There is nothing new under the sun."WOW! This is a powerful document!This work has something to ruffle anybody's feathers.Pope Leo XIII points out the disparity between the rich and the poor, and offers his solution.Socialists won't like it because he vigorously defends private property.Feminists won't like it because he very clearly defines gender roles in the workplace and the family.Animal activists won't like it because he puts m [...]

Some parts were excellent, some parts made me skeptical (the too-willing adoption of an essentially Lockean view of private property, the too-willing faith in states to enact beneficial measures, etc.), but whatever you think of it, it's a must-read for anyone thinking about faith, politics, and economics in modernity. Crucial line: "If through necessity or fear of a worse evil the workman accept harder conditions because an employer or contractor will afford him no better, he is made the victim [...]

Depois de muitos anos citando a Encíclica sem ter lido toda finalmente li. Impressiona muito o fato de que em 1891 o Papa Leão XIII tivesse previsto todo um panorama social que ainda no século XXI é revolucionário.

Especially recommended for people under the misconception that the Church operates under the principles of socialism, or that the State has no duties towards the citizens.

A brilliant entry-point of the Roman Church to the social debates of the 19th and 20th centuries. Pope Leo provides a sort of "3rd way" between the extremes of Marxist Communism and Nationalist Fascism, focusing instead on the priority of the family--rather than prioritizing the state or the collective. Private property is spoken of as a right of the family in order to ensure the freedom to flourish, while the duty of individuals (especially employers) towards the "family" (represented by the br [...]

While it does outline an almost fascist-like society(class collaboration). It is still very relevant today.His argument for private ownership over the means of production(and for private ownership in general) was very poor in my opinion. Mixing ones labor with the land is not enough to constitute ownership. Land can only be possessed. Also this encyclical clearly sets out to prove why certain arbitrary gender roles are necessary(which kind of pisses me off).Another problem is the encyclicals end [...]

The first work to point out the dangers of Karl Marx's ideology of Socialism and Communism from the Catholic perspective. Leo XIII's concern for the common worker along with his understanding of the rights of mankind put forward a gentle explanation of the balanced Catholic Church teaching on these subjects while refuting the lies told by the Socialist, Communist and Crony Capitalist apologists of the late 19th Century. For anyone looking to sift through the lies told in the mainstream and find [...]

Pope Leo XIII fought socialism with this text, explaining why the Church believes that private property is a natural right. Triumphant capitalists should make sure to read to the end, where the pope goes on to explain that the right to form a labor union is also a natural right. Interesting middle ground here; as a Catholic, you can see why the pope wanted the Church to play a larger role in the formation of unions.

“Rerum Novarum” is a prescription for a Utopia second to none. I read Plato’s Republic as carefully as I could and Thomas More’s Utopia, not to mention a few dystopias, and they left a felling I was reading fantasies. This encyclical by Leo XIII reads like hard non-fiction for today’s world.

On the Vatican website: vatican/holy_father/leoc from St. Thomas Aquinas on Politics and Ethics

"Age gives way to age, but the events of one century are wonderfully like those of another" -Pope Leo XIII,Certainly some of the language is dated and is gender biased but in many ways this encyclical is as relevant today as in 1891

Superb beginning to the social teaching of the Church. Leo rightly rejects both socialism and any form of capitalism which results in a few sitting on heaps and heaps of money while others struggle to scrape by. Not a long read, but a thought-provoking one.

Great encyclical.

Not the easiest translation to read but everyone entering the workforce or starting a business should read this encyclical of His Holiness Pope Leo XIII

an early articulation of what would later become known as distributist economics.

Last Read:27-29 December 20136-12 May 2015

NEW THINGS NEW THINGS NEW THINGSIS IT LOCKEAN?

Another illuminating and exceptional encyclical by Pope Leo XIII, he investigates each major economic/societal issue of the modern day with a brutal clarity that is definitely needed.