Social principles as a framework for ethical analysis (With an applicationto the Tobin tax)

Rooted in a reasoned understanding of what it is to be a human being in com munity, Catholic social principles are accessible to a pluralistic, even se cular, audience. Instead of being used separately in an ad hoc manner, thes e principles can be applied as a single analytical framework in examining e thical questions. Doing so allows the manifold dimensions of social problem s to surface. The paper applies this framework on the issue of whether curr ency markets ought to be taxed in order to deter speculation.