Does the Catholic Faith teach that human nature is fixed, or that it can improve?

[Bartolome_Casas]

As I see it, the Catholic Faith teaches that human nature can, through Divine Grace, improve in individuals who cooperate with Divine Grace.

On the other hand, when I read the views of professional economists and political scientists, they all seem to say that human nature is always the same, always selfish, always self-centered, always pleasure-focused, always acting out of self interest. You see this in the views of Adam Smith, and in believers in Free Market Economics today.

So, I see a conflict. Who is right? The popes and the bishops, or the free market economists? The economists seem to say that the Economy of Salvation has nothing to do with the worldly economy. The popes and the bishops disagree. Who is right?

To make matters more complicated, Marxists seem to also believe that human nature can be improve, though not be Divine Grace, but by social reorganization.

 

[Cominghome89]

Well, let’s make an important distinction: human nature as God created it and the fallen nature that we have inherited through the sin of Adam.

We can’t change our human nature at all; to do so would to cease being human. However, through grace we can be transformed, so that we are less influenced by the fallen nature, and closer to God’s original creation of human nature, which is man reflecting the image of God.

That’s brief, but I hope it helps a bit. Let me know if you’d like to talk further (if nobody with a better answer chimes in, that is )

In Christ through Mary,
Frank

 

[Lancer]

Catechism:

412 But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ’s inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon’s envy had taken away."307 And** St. Thomas Aquinas** wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature’s being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, ‘Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more’; and the Exsultet sings, ‘O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer!’"308

1710 “Christ . . . makes man fully manifest to man himself and brings to light his exalted vocation” (GS 22 § 1).

1711 Endowed with a spiritual soul, with intellect and with free will, the human person is from his very conception ordered to God and destined for eternal beatitude. He pursues his perfection in “seeking and loving what is true and good” (GS 15 § 2).

1712** In man, true freedom is an “outstanding manifestation of the divine image**” (GS 17).

1713 Man is obliged to follow the moral law, which urges him “to do what is good and avoid what is evil” (cf. GS 16). This law makes itself heard in his conscience.

1714 Man, having been wounded in his nature by original sin, is subject to error and inclined to evil in exercising his freedom.

1715 He who believes in Christ has new life in the Holy Spirit. The moral life, increased and brought to maturity in grace, is to reach its fulfillment in the glory of heaven.

Empirical and historical/biographical data…clearly prove that the Church is absolutely correct. How about Saint Augustine…and thousands of other notorious misfits or materialist…Epicureans…who became saints while still here on earth.

In my opinion…and I believe a proven fact…No one…and I mean no one…knows and understands the the human person better than the Catholic Church.

Pax Christi

 

[Julia_Mae]

As I see it, the Catholic Faith teaches that human nature can, through Divine Grace, improve in individuals who cooperate with Divine Grace.

On the other hand, when I read the views of professional economists and political scientists, they all seem to say that human nature is always the same, always selfish, always self-centered, always pleasure-focused, always acting out of self interest. You see this in the views of Adam Smith, and in believers in Free Market Economics today.

So, I see a conflict. Who is right? .

The first paragraph refers to persons. The second one to people. Both are correct.

 

[JRKH]

Good posts above but Julia Mae nailed it.

In theology and the economy of salvation we are talking about persons - individuals. Each individual is capable of improvement. Salvation, human improvement, is possible one person at a time.

The “professional economists and political scientists”, you refer to are speaking about masses of people. Their focus is quite different. They seek to provide information for “marketing” goods and for gaging the “voters”, the “public” as “groups”.

Marxism takes a view that is actually quite interesting and quite uplifting on the matter…It is really rather “evolutionary” in it’s view. The Human nature can and will improve under the right conditions. If those conditions are met, then the majority of people will change (improve) to fit those conditions. Of course this takes considerable time…

But in matters of salvation, just remember that all is gaged toward the individual.

Peace
James