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Catholic Social Thought

Catholic Social Thought (CST) contains nine principles that adhere to a Catholic way of life, Catholic Social Thought and its principles was developed for an everyday society. CST should not be mistaken for Catholic Social Teaching which is the official teaching of the church via the magisterium (Australian Catholic University, 2017, Section 3.1.1). The principles that are expressed throughout CST are not strictly Christian, and are seen throughout many world religions including Buddhism and Hinduism. “Catholic Social Thought has had a significant impact on developing more peaceable and compassionate societies over the centuries.” (ACU, 2017, Section 3.1.1). The nine different CST principles are; The Common Good, Human Dignity, Solidarity, Subsidiarity, Participation, Stewardship of Creation, Universal Purpose of Goods, Preferential Option for the Poor and the Promotion of Peace.

The Common Good

The Common Good can be simply defined as meeting the benefits or interests of all (ACU, 2017, Section 5.1.1). However, it is multidimensional and interdependent with other principles of Catholic Social Thought. The Common Good means that the needs of all people are met and no person is excluded from the common good. Pope St. John XXIII refers to The Common Good as, “the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or individuals, to reach their fulfilment more fully and more easily.” (Christopher Kaczor, 2007) The principle of Common Good is more complex than just meeting the interests of all people it is sacrificing self-interest for the basic human needs for

everyone for the community to flourish. Thus, individuals need to portray the golden rule and Ubuntu throughout their behaviours within their life to constitute their own personal wants to the needs of the community for it to flourish.

The Dignity of the Human Person

The Dignity of the Human Person refers to the innate personal value and rights which demands respect for all people regardless of race, social class and wealth (ACU, 2017, Section 3.1.2). It highlights how all people are born and live their life with the same ‘level’ of dignity as each other, the dignity of a human person is inherent and cannot be taken away. Kath Boyle states that “The dignity of the human person means that all people deserve to be treated with respect. We all have dignity, and our dignity doesn’t diminish with age, with income, with infirmity, with any of those things.”

Subsidiarity

Dignity of the Human Person

Subsidiarity is where those affected by a decision should be involved in making the decision, the power is localised and not centralised. Subsidiarity facilitates participation of people within their community and the decision making that is involved in that decision (ACU,

2017, Section 3.3.1). Subsidiarity recognizes that that there must be an autonomous sphere of civil freedom in which individuals and groups can function (Caritas Australia, 2018). David Carter refers to subsidiarity as “Subsidiarity is about participation. So, it’s about making decisions as close as possible to the people that they’re affected by.”

Subsidiarity and Participation

The Interrelationship Between Self and Community

The Catholic Social Thought Principles are all interrelated, they follow similar ethical codes and relationships between ‘self’ and ‘community’. Similarly, they are share a common goal of flourishing both for the individual and the community. The ethical codes of Ubuntu and the Golden Rule help an individual apply these principles to their life to assist the community in flourishing.

What is flourishing? Aristotle describes flourishing as “living virtuously”, in the short film retrieved from ACU, 2017, Section 4.1.2, Stephen Fry explains that to live virtuously is to live life in eudemon. He further explains that “Eudemonia, sometimes translated as Flourishing”. Flourishing enables

growth within society. The Catholic Social Thought Principles are a set of ideologies that enable an individual and a community to live by for the community to flourish.

What is the Good Life and the Golden Rule? The Golden Rule can be described as the ethic of reciprocity (ACU, 2017, Section 1.3.2). The Golden Rule focuses on the individual or ‘self’ and how they contribute to the flourishing society. The Golden Rule is the stepping stone for the interrelation ship between self and community. In order for the community to be able to flourish the individual or ‘self’ needs to look towards the interests of the community and how their actions can have an impact on the flourishment of the community.

What is Ubuntu? Ubuntu is an African word meaning “I am because we are” (ACU, 2017, Section 1.4.4). Ubuntu focusses on the community as a whole and how each individuals relationship with their community allows them to be who they are. Desmond Tutu states that “You cannot be human on your own. You are human through your relationships.” It highlights how an individual cannot flourish without their community, Stephen Lundin believes that “Ubuntu is a philosophy that considers the success of the group above that of the individual.”

Self and Community A community cannot flourish without individuals therefore, without self, there is no community. The innate nature of humans is that they are communal creatures and they cannot function without community (ACU, 2017, Section 2.3.2). The two concepts of ‘self’ and ‘community’ have a strong interdependence with each other, the purpose of a person only

makes sense in the context of their relationships to other and their community, (ACU, 2017, Section 2.3.2). The CST principles guide individuals to live their life in a collaborative way where they flourish alongside the community. By following the principles of The Common Good, The Dignity of the Human Person and Subsidiarity and individual can contribute to their community in a positive way so that even the poorest or dissociated community members can flourish alongside the community. The CST principles all revolve around community, CST aims to deliver the message that human beings thrive on the interrelationship between self and community.

All principles of CST are interrelated, they all share a common theme for the greater good of society and community flourishment. Each principle has a unique goal but rather they all express similar traits that lead back to human flourishment. All principles are interrelated and are a guide towards the way individuals act within the community to promote human flourishment and living the Good Life.

Reference List:

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 3.1.1 Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Social Thought. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from

https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c07-4862-92c1-118b46d203d4/29/M3HistoryAndPrinciplesCST.html

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 5.1.1 What People Say About The Common Good. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c0c07-4862-92c1-118b46d203d4/29/M5-TheCommonGood.html#

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 3.1.2 The Dignity of the Human Person. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c074862-92c1-118b46d203d4/29/M3-HistoryAndPrinciplesCST.html#

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 4.1.2 Human Flourishing. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c07-4862-92c1118b46d203d4/29/M4-HumanFlourishingCG.html#

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 1.3.2 What is the Golden Rule. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c07-4862-92c1118b46d203d4/29/M1-TheGoldenRule.html#

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 1.4.4 Ubuntu. UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c07-4862-92c1118b46d203d4/29/M1-TheGoldenRule.html#

Australian Catholic University. (2017). 2.3.2 Catholic Social Thought and the Individual UNCC100 Unit Materials. Retrieved from

https://leocontent.acu.edu.au/file/8e8cfd0c-0c07-4862-92c1-118b46d203d4/29/M2IndividualAndSociety.html#

Christopher Kaczor, (2007). Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teaching. El Cajon, CA: Catholic Answers.

Caritas Australia. (2018) Dignity of the Human Person [Comic]. Retrieved from https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/catholic-social-teaching/dignity-of-the-human-person

Caritas Australia. (2018) Subsidiarity and Participation [Comic]. Retrieved from https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/catholic-social-teaching/subsidiarity-and-participation

Subsidiarity and Participation. (2018). Caritas Australia. Retrieved from https://www.caritas.org.au/learn/catholic-social-teaching/subsidiarity-and-participation...