Economy as a Matter of Happiness: A Conceptual Model for Scholastic Economic Theology

The position of ideology in economics and the relationship between positive and normative economics have always been among the fundamental questions in economic methodology, yielding various answers. Some view economics as nothing more than the theology of the modern era, while others regard the domain of economics as devoid of non-falsifiable ideology. Nonetheless, most intellectual currents agree on considering Scholastic thought as part of the history of economic analysis. Yet, the fundamental question is how economic issues emerge as analytical inquiries for a theologian. This study seeks to demonstrate, through a case study of realistic Scholastic thinkers, how theology - and specifically the theory of Scholastic happiness - can transform economic topics into analytical questions for these scholars. The results indicate that the introduction of the theory of dual human happiness, particularly the concept of "imperfect happiness" (beatitudo imperfecta) alongside "perfect happiness," provided the primary basis for their attention to economic issues. Therefore, economics was of interest to the Scholastics in terms of the material necessities for virtuous action, as a scene for moral judgment, and due to its connection to many human virtues.