Edward O’Boyle and the subjective dimension of human work: a virtue-ethics approach

This paper explores the innovative micro-economic vision of Edward John O'Boyle (1937–2022), a pivotal figure in personalist economics. By challenging the reductionist ‘homo economicus’ model—a self-interested, utility-maximising agent—O'Boyle proposes a constructive alternative that re-centres economic analysis on the dignity and complexity of the acting person. The study traces O'Boyle's intellectual lineage within the tradition of social economics, moving from a macro-approach of ‘social Catholicism’ to a micro-approach focused on the morality of individual acts. Central to O'Boyle’s contribution is the re-evaluation of human work, transitioning from its treatment as an objective commodity to its recognition as a subjective human act and a vehicle for self-realisation. The paper examines the core concept of “personalist capital”—defined as the stock of virtues acquired by a person—and his three-tiered model of human freedom: negative, positive, and participative. Through a comparative analysis with precursors such as Joseph Schumpeter and Amartya Sen, the study highlights O'Boyle's unique normative framework. While acknowledging convergences in human agency and capabilities, the paper underscores how O'Boyle integrates a definitive moral compass based on integral human development.