ABSTRACT
People throughout the world are being thrown into a market economy no longer driven by competition for natural resources or the massification of industrial labor, but by a convergence of technological breakthroughs that has given rise to what some observers characterize as “the knowledge-based society.” This chapter outlines a praxiological response, rooted in a specific tradition of Christian social thought and action, to this challenge. A praxiological perspective on the ethical issues raised by the knowledge-based society should begin with an appreciation of the continued relevance of the religious dimensions of change. The advent of the knowledge-based society, among other things, portends the passing of the “good” business corporation that could virtually guaranteed a middle-class lifestyle for the vast majority of its employees in exchange for their loyalty and obedience. The rebirth of a Catholic work ethic within the knowledge-based society is a reflection of broader historical trends operative in the postVatican II Church.
