CHAPTER 6 : SOCIETY
Defining Society through
its Causes
CAUSALITY
To identify the cause is the
concern of all species of science.
There is at least one cause for
everything.
RECALL AQUINAS AND ARISTOTLE…
"Certain knowledge through
causes" and "Systematic and
mediate knowledge of beings and
their properties through causes"
TYPES OF CAUSES
CAUSE
Intrinsic - Internal• Material – Matter
• Proximate - Direct• Remote - Relative
• Formal - Form
Extrinsic - External• Final - End• Agent - Person
• Instrumental - What acts in subordination to a principle cause.
• Principal - Guides the action as a norm or rule of behaviour
• Primary - Is a basic, foundational proposition or assumption that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption.
• Secondary - Sub sequential, dependent of the primary cause.
SOCIETY AS A CAUSE
Cause - Society• Intrinsic - People
• Material - People living in the society
• Proximate - Families• Remote - Individuals
• Formal - Moral union of will.
Extrinsic - Love for common good• Final - Common good• Agent - Government officials
• Instrumental - Political authority• Principal - Justice
• Primary- Principle of solidarity, of subsidiarity, of participation
• Secondary - Liberalism and Socialism
COMMON GOOD – FINAL CAUSE OF SOCIETY
Totality of all social conditions
that allows people as groups
and as individuals to reach their
proper fulfilment – is what is
morally good for man as man.
BREAKDOWN OF DEFINITION
Very basis which justifies public authority or makes it
necessary.
Ultimate goal which civil authority strives to attain.
Premised on the assumption that every man has the right
to all he needs.
Based on the moral order. It builds on the notion and
principles of right and wrong. Not amoral.
PREREQUISITES OF COMMON GOOD
All citizens enjoy freedom (of will), peace and
security.
Freedom is exercised according to right reason;
respect for natural law.
Protection of person’s fundamental rights.
Each individual can develop to his/her fullest.
UNIVERSAL COMMON GOOD
Concept of common good as applied to the
good of the entire world and the whole
creation.
Greatly helped by worldwide collaboration
since we all suffer or benefit, in one way
or another, from each other.
PRIMARY PRINCIPLES
THE PRINCIPLE OF
SOLIDARITY• It is also called “Principle of
Fellowship”.• Solidarity is unity (as of a group or
class) that produces or is based on community of interests, objectives, and standards. It refers to the ties in a society that bind people together as one.
• It requires that all units of society – the individual, the family, various institutions like schools, churches, etc. – regardless of size, must actively and selflessly participate in managing all economic, political, and cultural activities.
• There must be a sense of cooperation among the people in working for the common good of their society.
THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY
• It is also called “Principle of Supplementary Assistance”.
• Subsidiarity is an organising principle of decentralisation, stating that a matter ought to be handled by the smallest, lowest, or least centralised authority capable of addressing that matter effectively. The Oxford English Dictionary defines subsidiarity as the idea that a central authority should have a subsidiary function, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or local level.
• It maintains the relationship between the state or any higher body and the lower bodies that is conducive to or favourable to attaining the common good.
THE PRINCIPLE OF PARTICIPATION• Participation can be expressed
essentially in a series of activities by means of which the citizens either as an individual or in association with others, whether directly or through representation, contributes to the cultural, economic, political, and social life of the civil community to which he or she belongs.
• It develops the qualities of the person, especially in the sense of initiative and responsibility and helps guarantee his/her rights.
• It also seeks and facilitates the involvement of those potentially affected by or interested in a decision, holds that those who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process, and implies that the public's contribution will influence the decision.
LIBERALISM AND SOCIALISM
Liberalism • Espouses individualism which naturally leads to free enterprise and competition.
• It gets bad when profit is made supreme good to which values, morals, and other higher good may be ignored or sacrificed in its favour.
Socialism• Wreaks greater havoc as its effects on man and his society far exceeds those of liberalism.
• Attacks on our person is conscious, deliberate and premeditated.
• Based on wrong assumptions that only universal social is real and therefore the only one that counts.