ABSTRACT
The economy, as a science, finds methodologies and solutions, while the ethics answers the question of the meaning of human, and therefore also of economic, actions. This chapter focuses on the contribution of Catholic teaching about development and its relationship with the theory of human development proposed by the Nobel Prize economist Amartya Sen. It analyzes the idea of development as it presents in Catholic social thought. The chapter shows how the assumptions of Christian morals allow a juxtaposition with Sen's work, to find an effective opportunity of dialogue between the two contributions. It identifies a common background because both Sen and the social doctrine are placed on a normative/ethical level. The chapter describes the heart of the study, focusing on the dialogue between the two paradigms: Integral Human Development (IHD) and the theory of human development proposed by Sen. It also focuses on the concept of freedom and its central role in the development process for the ethical and economic disciplines.
