Neil Salsich's Webassingment: The Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching
Take "The Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching." List and explain each. Then tell if you believe each.
The Principle of Human Diginity: This principle states that since all humans were "created in the image of God and redeemed by Jesus Christ," they are "worthy of respect as a member of the Human family." (pg. 72) This core idea of Catholic social teachings maintains that ever person, despite their race, ethnicity, sex, age, religon, sexual orientation, or economic staus, deserves the respect of all people. Being alive is the only prerequisite needed to deserve respect. I believe this teaching, and I think it is the basis behind many anti-death penalty arguments, given that every human, no matter what they have done, possesses dignity and deserves respect--killing them would rob them of this.
The Principle of Respect for Human Life: A "right to life" (pg. 72) goes along with the dignity that every human possesses. Starting at the moment of conception, human life is invaluble and should respected and protected. Thus, it is always wrong to directly attack an innocent human life. I agree with and accept this Catholic social teaching; I believe it to be a core teaching in any moral system.
The Principle of Association: Because human beings are "not only sacred but also social," (pg 72) our interaction with others, on both a small, personal scale and a large, societal scale fufills us. The center of this social interaction is the family; it is the foundation of society. Though this teaching suprised me at first, I came to understand it and fully agree with it--it is through relationships with others that we live life to the fullest.
The Principle of Participation: This idea is that if a person cannot be active and participate in society, then he is robbed of the benefits of belonging to any social institution. Since humans are social beings, particpation in these communities is vital to our fufillment. This includes labor issues, because "work is more than a way to make a living;" (pg. 72) it is a way to participate in God's creation and the complex web of human relationships. Thus, workers' rights must be respected: the right to productive work, to fair wages, union rights, to private property, and to economic initiative. I am suprised this is where the Catholic Church gets its labor stance from, but I agree with it, though I never thought of work as a means of continuing God's creation.
The Principal of Preferential Protection for the Poor and Vulnerable: Our Catholic tradition tells us to "put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first." (pg. 73) Most people accept this as "the right thing to do." However, there is a detailed explanation offered by this principle as to why it is "the right thing to do." If the common god of society is to prevail, the more fortunate most protect and care for the poor and powerless. Otherwise, the balence that keeps society intact will tip. I agree with the notion of caring for the poor, but I do not think this explanation offers a good enough answer. I am confused as to why, if the poor aren't taken care of, society will collapse.
The Principle of Solidarity: The virtue of solidarity means loving your fellow human beings on a global scale; the human race is one family. Choices with solidarity in mind will result in choices that promote and protect the good of the human family. I believe with this principle. People have a bad habit of practicing a solidarity limited to nationality, social community, etc. This sheds light on the global aspect of solidarity.
The Principle of Stewardship: As humans, we are stewards, managers, and caretakers of God's world--we are not owners! By taking careful care of the environment, we are respecting God and his creation. In our tradition of moral responsibility, we often forget that we are as much responsible for the environment as we are for oher human beings. Our duties of stewardship also include managing our personal health, using our talents to the best of our abilities and our use of personal property. I stronly believe this principle, in part because it is easily the most often overlooked one. Though I support advancement of human relationships, helping the poor, etc., I constantly remind myself that without a healthy planet (thus a thriving human race), none of the other building blocks of Catholic social teaching would be able to be put into practice.
The Principle of Subsidiarity: This principle concerns goverment responsibility and action and roles of volunteer associations. It maintains that higher government organizations should allow lower-level organizations to handle a problem that they are close to and familiar with--that is if the lower-level group can handle the problem as efficiently and effectively as the higher government power. Oppressive governments and overactive ones as well undermine this principle. This was a completely new idea for me, but it makes complete sense, and I believe it. The problem can be dealt with better by a group of people who are near it and see the effects it has on the people and community harmed.
The Principle of Human Equality: This principle explains that while humans are very different, they all posses an equality that stems from their dignity, and then should not be subject to social and cultural discrimination in their fundamental rights. This embodies the age old principle of fairness--humans have always felt a sense of what is fair and what is not. I believe this teaching, because it follows that if we all posses dignity, then we must be equal in our rights.
The Principle of the Common Good: This term has been used throughout the article, but what does it mean? "The common good is understood as the social conditions that allow people to reach their full human potential and to realize their human dignity." (pg. 11) In other words, the common good is the state of the global community that allows each person to live how God intended--grasping their potential and recognizing their own dignity. A society with too much emphasis on individualism can lead to a lost sense of the common good. A more communitarian approach towards business and goverment would help us regain our faded concern for the common good.
Source:Jesuit Centre
Source:Social Action Office Newsletter
Sources
Source:"Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching" by William J. Byron
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