Juan Luis Vives and the responsibility towards the poor

Abstract

Juan Luis Vives (Valencia 1492, Bruges 1540) reflected upon the matter of poverty as a problem of personal and social justice. As the number of poor was increasing all through the 16th century, their abandonment laid out not only social order problems, but also moral and religious ones. The fact of reflecting upon such a matter provides Vives with the opportunity to fulfill a strong criticism of those who hold the political and religious power, as well as to demand a change in the attitude, at an individual and institutional level, and a reflection on the own essence of Christianity. Therefore, Vives offers both a set of specific measures to try to face such a problem and a wide range of moral and religious reasons so as to complicate the possibility of refusing our responsibility towards the poor, while the author exhorts us to face poverty together.