Exploring Catholic Social Teaching
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186 <strong>Exploring</strong> <strong>Catholic</strong> <strong>Social</strong> <strong>Teaching</strong><br />
Vocabulary<br />
<strong>Social</strong>ism (n.): An<br />
economic and political<br />
philsophy in which the<br />
means of production,<br />
distubtution, and<br />
exchange is owned by the<br />
centralized government.<br />
The individual does<br />
not own the fruits of his<br />
labor, but relies on the<br />
government to distribute<br />
goods.<br />
Marxism (n.): The<br />
political, economic, and<br />
social theory of Karl<br />
Marx, which holds that<br />
all history is the history of<br />
class struggle. The perfect<br />
society to Marx is one<br />
where the workers control<br />
the means of production,<br />
all property is held in<br />
common, with each<br />
contributing according to<br />
his ability, and receiving<br />
according to his need.<br />
Communists later claimed<br />
to base their actions on<br />
Marxist thought.<br />
Temporal Welfare (n.):<br />
The good pertaining to<br />
this earth, as oppossed<br />
to the good pertaining to<br />
Heaven or eternity.<br />
People sometimes wrongly use the term social justice to refer to a<br />
socialist economic order, which abolishes private property and places the<br />
ownership and control of wealth primarily in the hands of a government. In<br />
the Marxist use of the term, socialism refers to a form of government that<br />
seeks to level the economic playing field by force through a centralized<br />
economy that supposedly will abolish every form of social and economic<br />
injustice. Simply put, the idea is that government could somehow equally<br />
distribute goods to everyone. For reasons we will address in a later chapter,<br />
the Church rejects socialism as a socioeconomic system because it is<br />
opposed to a Christian view of the human person and society (CCC 2425).<br />
In short, socialism can never be just because it undermines the basic right<br />
to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor and destroys the right to exercise free<br />
initiative in the economy (CCC 2429). <strong>Social</strong>ism and communism are also<br />
based on a flawed view of the human person, viewing all of history as nothing<br />
more than class struggle. Therefore, when the Church speaks of social<br />
justice, she means something very different.<br />
A simple definition of social justice is the responsibility of each member<br />
of a society to respect the dignity of every human being created in the image<br />
and likeness of God. “Society ensures social justice when it provides<br />
the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is<br />
their due, according to their nature and their vocation. <strong>Social</strong> justice is<br />
linked to the common good and the exercise of authority” (CCC 1928).<br />
Most fundamentally, society must ensure that all people can fulfill their basic<br />
human needs, and the primary way to meet these needs is through a full participation<br />
in social life. Yet individuals cannot fully participate in socioeconomic<br />
life without the cooperation of others and just social conditions. Minimally,<br />
what social justice requires is that every sector of society takes responsibility<br />
for creating the conditions for each individual and family to start a business<br />
or find employment, socialize with others, and participate in politics in order<br />
to guarantee our temporal welfare. <strong>Social</strong> justice requires a collaboration<br />
between governments, businesses, and other institutions to create a stable<br />
economy that allows for just wages, safe working conditions, adequate transportation,<br />
and the ability of people to start businesses and have access to<br />
employment and any education needed to participate in economic activity.<br />
In cases where people are disabled and unable to work, society (that is,<br />
everyone) must also find effective means to see that these individuals have<br />
access to supports that provide for their temporal welfare in the absence of<br />
work (CCC 2426–2436). These services may be provided by extended family,<br />
private charities, government agencies, or a combination of all three. In the<br />
case of vulnerable individuals, such as the unborn, the displaced, and the elderly,<br />
society (again, everyone) must work to provide these groups of people<br />
with special protection, especially from abortion, exploitation, and euthanasia.<br />
© Sophia Institute for Teachers