About the St. Augustine Cupiditas

St. Augustine was a philosopher and bishop of the early church who lived from 354 to 430 Common Era. His views on love shaped much of the activity of the church and the attitudes of Christians even up to the present.

Caritas versus cupiditas

Augustine taught that there were two types of love: cupiditas, the covetous love that caused sin, competition and the amassing of wealth at the expense of others; and caritas, the pure love for each other as followers of Christ. Caritas, he taught, was not only a requirement for godliness, but an efficient way to serve the people and distribute wealth. Based on this teaching, the medieval church abounded with charitable organizations which collected money from the members to care for the populace.

Charity gone wrong

Many mendicant orders of monks and friars were established on the principle of collecting money, ostensibly to distribute evenly. However, the extravagant support needed to perpetuate these orders required escalating sums of money while the less fortunate were expected to continue giving from the little they had. By the 15th and 16th centuries, church reformers were demanding the dissolution of wealthy mendicant orders, pointing out that the money-collecting mechanisms of the church had turned into cupiditas.

Cupiditas as an established system

Meanwhile, a merchant system was established that is now called capitalism. These trade relations encouraged cupiditas, personal gain was the ultimate goal. Paradoxically, when participants in a free market compete for resources, they trade in the manner that benefits all parties, including the consumer, thereby self-regulating.

Ultimately, the capitalist aspect of cupiditas works for the greater good, though its intent is personal gain. The modified market system now in operation in America is short-circuiting the self-regulating aspect of true capitalism to the detriment of all, making honest caritas seem a more attractive option.