Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
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High School Chapter: Different Types of Justice<br />
179<br />
the best of their ability — i.e., food, shelter, medical care, education, safety,<br />
etc. All of these examples show us how distributive justice pertains to those<br />
in authority over a community. The responsibility of legitimate authority is<br />
to ensure that society treat every person fairly. Those subject to authority<br />
also have responsibilities, which we will discuss shortly.<br />
Distributive justice also pertains to the fairness surrounding rewards<br />
and punishments. In school, for example, a teacher owes students the<br />
grade they deserve — without inflation or punity. Have you ever suspected<br />
that you received a grade lower than you deserved because a teacher did<br />
not like you? Yet perhaps the opposite has also happened: you may have<br />
received a higher grade than you deserved due to a teacher’s favor. Would<br />
you protest as much in the latter as in the former circumstance? Likewise,<br />
in the criminal justice system, punishments should never be disproportionate<br />
to the crime committed, except perhaps in a case where showing mercy<br />
is appropriate. Furthermore, when people show outstanding success or go<br />
above and beyond the call of duty, we owe such individuals honor through<br />
recognition, awards, and gratitude. As you can see, distributive justice refers<br />
to any situation in which a community gives what is justly due to its<br />
individual members.<br />
Legal Justice<br />
Legal justice is the corollary to distribute justice and pertains to those who<br />
are subject to a higher authority. Individual members of society have an<br />
obligation to contribute to the good of society by building up the common<br />
good. One of the most important ways we do this is by obeying just laws<br />
and respecting those in positions of legitimate authority over us. In general,<br />
to disobey legitimate authority by breaking the law harms the community<br />
and undermines the common good. Those subject to authority “should<br />
regard those in authority as representatives of God, who made them<br />
stewards of his gifts” (CCC 2238). Scripture teaches that all authority<br />
comes from God and is a participation in God’s own governance of the<br />
world. This is why St. Peter wrote, “Be subject to every human institution<br />
for the Lord’s sake, whether it be to the king as supreme or to<br />
governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the<br />
approval of those who do good. For it is the will of God that by doing<br />
good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free, yet<br />
without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God” (1<br />
Pet. 2:13–16).<br />
Vocabulary<br />
Authority (n.): The quality<br />
of exercising power over<br />
others and expecting<br />
obedience from them.<br />
All communities need<br />
someone or some institution<br />
in authority. Authority is<br />
exercised legitimately only<br />
when it seeks the common<br />
good of the group and<br />
employs morally licit means<br />
to attain it.<br />
Legal Justice (n.): What<br />
each person owes in<br />
fairness to the community,<br />
such as obeying just laws<br />
and respecting legitimate<br />
authority.<br />
Property (n.): Those<br />
things we legitimately<br />
own, including our<br />
material possessions and<br />
the fruits of our labor.<br />
Property helps guarantee<br />
the freedom and dignity<br />
of persons, and helps us<br />
take care of ourselves and<br />
our families. We have a<br />
responsibility to make our<br />
property fruitful and share<br />
its benefits with others,<br />
especially our families.<br />
Just laws exist to establish a proper ordering of social life to the common<br />
good. For example, when a person disobeys traffic laws, they often<br />
put others at risk. Laws that protect property rights and people’s financial<br />
© Sophia Institute for Teachers