The Logic of the Gift

Happy Christmas! It is a time for giving. But what is a "gift"? This may be one you don't want, but I have added my paper "A Theology of Gift" from the recent Blackfriars symposium to the Articles section of the Economy Project website. In section 34 of Caritas in Veritate, Pope Benedict writes: “Charity in truth places man before the astonishing experience of gift. Gratuitousness is present in our lives in many different forms, which often go unrecognized because of a purely consumerist and utilitarian view of life. The human being is made for gift, which expresses and makes present his transcendent dimension.” He goes on to argue that the “logic of gift” which is an expression of communion with others must be allowed a place even within economic systems and commercial enterprises, since no human activity exists in a sphere apart from God or separate from ethics. And in section 53 he adds: “Thinking of this kind requires a deeper critical evaluation of the category of relation. This is a task that cannot be undertaken by the social sciences alone, insofar as the contribution of disciplines such as metaphysics and theology is needed if man's transcendent dignity is to be properly understood.” The Blackfriars symposium was inspired by this challenge. Other papers are expected to be published in due course.