Reciprocity:the way to an economy of virtue and prosperity

Part I

by Eleonora Bonacossa

Starting from a person-centered vision.

The human being and human dignity are the most important milestones on which life and society should be based and have a fundamental priority over profit, personal interests and market strategies. Though it’s considered an axiome by the Church and the Christian community, this issue seems to be rather annoying and arbitrary for the market economy that still considers and calls persons “human resources” in the same way as it speaks about financial and natural resources. The human being is much more than a human resource; he’s made in the image of God, having inside a divine spark.

But a human being alone is not able to experience reciprocity until another subject, “the other”, enters and allows the interaction to come alive. We could say that reciprocity constitutes life and society, because we’re never alone: we’re born in a family, belong to a community, to a country, a continent and are all inhabitants of the planet Earth: We are world citizens.
The dimension of reciprocity is the most familiar and natural dimension we’ve been living in since our birth: we have always been a human community.

That is the reason why being part of mankind gives us a sense of fraternity and solidarity which are not only prerogatives of the Catholic Church but are universally shared principles.
Reciprocity has as its goals to achieve, to put into practise the culture of fraternity. And fraternity is that principle of the social organisation that allows people who are equal in their dignity and their fundamental rights to be different; that is to say, fraternity allows them to express their life’s plan and charisma in their own personal way.
On the contrary, the principle of solidarity allows people who are not treated equally, to become “like the others”.

Solidarity cannot be imposed because it‘s a state of mind that becomes “modus vivendi” when people have the experience of “koinonia”. Koinonia is an ancient Greek word and means “community, sharing”, not only intended as sharing of material goods or things. It also includes an abstract and spiritual dimension. “Koinonia” has to be intended as “communion of fraternal solidarity”.
Solidarity is a practial act, an external gesture showing the inner communion that takes place between two persons. “Koinonia” is when I open myself to the other, reducing the distance, respecting the diversity. It doesn’t happen when I’m rejoycing in helping and meeting him, but when I recognize and receive him as a unique individual. That allows a relationship of active participation to come alive.

Far from being a mere expression of assistentialism and statalism (giving money “una tantum”), solidarity can develop its great potential if it becomes more dynamic and creative, that is to say if it becomes part of the economic and social development through subsidiarity and social relational bonds based on trust and cooperation; these are economic values that market needs to exist, but cannot produce by itself. We have to find a way of sharing trust and cooperation: distribution is not good enough and doesn’t work in this case.
In this new dynamic perspective, solidarity has still a crucial role to play in the economy.