Rerum Novarum: Para 1

Read Rerum Novarum on the Vatican website here.

'Rerum Novarum' means Of New Things. The new things that Leo XIII is writing about in this encyclical (letter) are the effects of the 'revolutionary change' currently sweeping through the world.

These 'new things' begin with politics but go far beyond it. Leo names 'practical economics' as an example. Specifically:

• industrial expansion
• the 'marvellous discoveries of science'
• changing relationships between business owners and their workers
• the extreme wealth of certain industrialists
• the 'utter poverty of the masses'
• working class people's 'self-reliance' and 'closer mutual combination'. I hope this latter phrase is explained at some point as I don't understand it. I wonder if combination means co-operation

Beyond the economic sphere, Leo also points to change in the 'prevailing moral degeneracy'. The end of the nineteenth century was seen as a time of social degeneracy so I guess that is what Leo is talking about here.

Leo concludes the paragraph by noting how the revolutionary change is causing great worry and discussion, schemes (to rectify the situation?) within the public sphere and in places of power.

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So, politics, industry, and morality are all under Leo XIII's microscope. For obvious reasons, Leo XIV has thus far only talked about how Rerum Novarum has inspired him in a very limited way. More will no doubt come when he publishes his first encyclical. For now, though, it appears his focus is on industry; specifically, the effect of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on it.

Leo's concerns with AI is timely. Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly important for businesses. As it does so, it is already leading to job losses. For example, Duolingo recently announced that it will become an 'AI first' company. From now on, AI will be used instead of contractors to complete work for the company, even though, as Duolingo has admitted, mistakes will be made along the way. On a personal level, I have seen AI 'art', if it can be called that (it can't, but I won't get in to that here), being used to create thumbnail images on YouTube and on Tik Tok videos. I had to ban its use from my Facebook page on Alexander the Great after someone used it in a comment. I have heard of lawyers who were censured for using ChatGPT in court. 

My examples are very lightweight but there is no doubt that as AI becomes more and more sophisticated its use in business will become extensive. And why wouldn't it; if it cuts costs, companies - who are obliged to run their business as cheaply as possible so that their shareholders get the maximum return from their investment - are of course going to make use of it. So, as we read Rerum Novarum, we will be considering what Leo XIII says in the light of the modern situation.

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