trans.), pp. 7-8. On the general conflict between the ethical and the
non-ethical schools of economists see Keynes, _Scope and Method_, pp.
20 _et seq_.]

The other road to the establishment of a society based on justice
is the way of Christianity, and, if we wish to attempt this path, it
becomes vitally important to understand what was the economic teaching
of the Church in the period when the Christian ethic was universally
recognised. During the whole Middle Ages, as we have said above, the
Canon Law was the test of right and wrong in the domain of economic
activity; production, consumption, distribution, and exchange were all
regulated by the universal system of law; once before economic life
was considered within the scope of moral regulation. It cannot be
denied that a study of the principles which were accepted during that
period may be of great value to a generation which is striving to
place its economic life once more upon an ethical foundation.

One error in particular we must be on our guard to avoid. We said
above that both the socialists and the Christian economists are agreed
in their desire to reintroduce justice into economic life. We must not
conclude, however, that the aims of these two schools are identical.
One very frequently meets with the statement that the teachings of
socialism are nothing more or less than the teachings of Christianity.
This contention is discussed in the following pages, where the
conclusion will be reached that, far from being in agreement,
socialism and Christian economics contradict each other on many
fundamental points. It is, however, not the aim of the discussion to
appraise the relative merits of either system, or to applaud one and
disparage the other. All that it is sought to do is to distinguish
between them; and to demonstrate that, whatever be the merits or