The Catholic Doctrine of ‘Integral Human Development’ and its Influence on the International Development Community (abstract)

Abstract

In 1967, Pope Paul VI posited the notion of ‘integral human development’, which, as developed by his successors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, broke with the modern project of purely economic and technological development, resulting in an original understanding of ‘development’. The papal doctrine, as conventional conceptions of development, is in favour of economic growth, technological innovation and the implementation of social programmes. As ‘integral human development’, however, emphasises the religious goal of reconciling humanity and God through the creation of a human family over these more material social and economic issues, it cannot be equated to secular development theory. This chapter highlights the unique character of this doctrine and examines its influences on the theoretical framework of the international development community.

Keywords

• international cooperation
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
• poverty
• religion
• catholicism
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)