Sem. Jonathan DP.

Racelis September 30, 2020

Moral Philosophy Rev. Fr. Nicolas J. Revilla

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What is Catholic Social Teaching? What is its overall point? Why is it referred
to as the Church's "best kept secret?"
Catholic Social Teaching refers to the body of writings that the Catholic
Church maintains concerning important social, economic, and political issues. The
overall point of these writings is to demonstrate the communal dimension of
Christian faith. It is referred to as the Church’s “best keep secret” because most
American Catholics are unaware that these writings even exist.
2. What are mishpat and tsedaqah? Why are they important for understanding
the Hebrew Scripture message?
Mishpat and Tsedaqah, generally translated "justice" and "righteousness."
Together, mishpat and tsedaqah connote a sense of communal peace and
harmony, virtues that were supposed to characterize the Israelite people's
relationship with God and with one another. In modern language, justice and
righteousness mean avoiding violence, fraud, or any other actions that undermine
communal life, while at the same time "pursuing that which sustains the life of the
community."
3. What two "great values" concerning social life are emphasized in the Old and
New Testaments? What relevance do these values have for Christians today?
The first, is that faith is not simply a private affair between the Christian and
God. This is the type of solidarity that Christ’s followers are called to exemplify in
the world today.
The second value revealed through these scriptural passages is a vision of
what we might term a contrast society. Today, as in biblical times, we tend to
measure worth by how much wealth one possesses or how much power one
wields in society. The scriptural message demonstrates the exact opposite. True
human worth rests with the fact that people are created in the image and likeness
of God, and true human power is exercised through the practice of love, justice,
and service.
4. What three "conclusions" about material wealth can be drawn from the
teachings of the early Church fathers?
First, Christians are called to renounce wealth and power as the ultimate
values in their lives. CST has always maintained that true human fulfillment is not
found in what people have but in who they are. As such, people need to seek
happiness not in external goods, but in the love of both God and neighbor. Second,
all material goods are bestowed by God for the benefit of all. Each person has the
right to own property, but each person also has the duty to share this property
with others in times of need. Third, while there is nothing inherently wrong with
the possession of material goods, problems inevitably arise in terms of their use.
Most people have a desire to live comfortably, yet in attaining this goal they are
not to covet the goods of their neighbors nor view wealth as the barometer of
their worth or anyone else's. The point here is that we must not view our wealth
as an end in itself, but as a means to foster the greater good of society.
5. If the principles of CST do not tell us exactly how to act in a specific situation,
what is their purpose?
The principles of CST offer a moral guide for how to live the Christian faith in
the world. It is important to clarify, however, that these principles are not laws or
commandments that dictate exactly what one should or should not do in a
particular situation. Instead, the principles offer a framework for moral decision-
making regarding how to live as individuals within society, and how to formulate
public policy.
6. What is the principle of human dignity? What is its theological basis? What
does this principle mean in practice?
Human dignity upholds the sacredness of human life at all stages, from
conception until the moment of natural death, we must remember that the
Church upholds the principle that human life is sacred at all moments.
Practically speaking, human dignity means that all people must be afforded
basic human rights and must always be treated with respect. It means that the
human person must be viewed as an integrated whole-body, mind, and soul -and
each individual must be afforded the opportunity to develop these aspects to his
or her fullest ability. Finally, human dignity means that others must not be viewed
as objects. One cannot exploit others, treat them as a means to one's own end, or
ignore the consequences of one's actions on them. When faced with a decision
that will affect others, one must always ask, "Do my decisions respect others as
persons in themselves?"
7. What are the principles of community and the common good? How is the
common good defined by the Second Vatican Council and Pope Benedict XVI?
The principle of community teaches that we humans are one family and that
we need one another. The principle of community leads directly to the principle of
the common good. This principle teaches that because all people live, work, and
fulfill themselves in community with one another, they must look to fulfill not only
their individual good, but work to build a society that benefits all people.
The Second Vatican Council defined the common good as "the sum of those
conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members
relatively thorough and ready access to their fulfillment." Stated differently, the
common good is a social order where all individuals have the opportunity to meet
their basic needs, interact with others, and ultimately fulfill themselves as human
persons. More recently, Pope Benedict XVI echoed this teaching when he stated,
[The common good] is the good of "all of us," made up of individuals, families and
intermediate groups who together constitute society. It is a good that is sought
not for its own sake, but for the people who belong to the social community and
who can only really and effectively pursue their good within it.
8. What are the principles of participation and subsidiarity?
The principle of participation states that at all levels of society people have
the right to participate in the decision-making process concerning issues that
affect them directly, the principle of subsidiarity states that as much as possible,
public policy decisions should be made on the local level.
9. What is the principle of option for the poor? How do the U.S. bishops say it
must be "applied" in terms of economic policy decisions?
The sixth principle of CST is preferential option for the poor. The rationale for
this principle is that as Jesus championed the cause of the poor (both materially
and spiritually), so also his followers are called to do the same. The U.S. bishops
further argued that economic policy decisions must be judged on what they do
"for the poor, to the poor, and what they enable the poor to do for themselves."
For the bishops, the "fundamental moral criterion" of any economic policy is that it
be done "at the service of all people, especially the poor. "
10. What is the principle of stewardship? What makes stewardship distinct from
caretaking?
The Catholic Church has traditionally upheld the right of individuals to own
property, the Church also teaches that one must view property as a means to self-
fulfillment, not as an end in itself. That is, one must not allow the pursuit of
material wealth to become the primary driving force of one's life.
Caretaking means watching over something for another during the other's
absence. Stewardship is much more involved because it means accepting full
responsibility for that which is in your care.
11. What is the principle of solidarity? How does Pope John Paul II define
solidarity?
Solidarity involves the conscious decision to form community with the one
for whom we have compassion, the one who is suffering. The late Pope John Paul
II expressed these exact points in his own definition of solidarity: [Solidarity] then
is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so
many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering
determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good
of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all.
12. What does it mean to say that CST is grounded in practical reality?
CST does not arise from speculative theology or from technical theological
arguments, but from the reality of people's lives. While always maintaining
continuity with previous writings, these and other CST documents addressed
issues specific to the authors' audiences. The authors were speaking in the "here
and now" and sought to articulate the Church's response to important social issues
as they actually existed. Similarly, the principles of CST do not exist in a vacuum.
Although one can understand them abstractly (as they have been presented in this
chapter), they only take on their true moral character when applied in real,
concrete situations.
13. Why are the principles of CST morally binding on all people, not just
Catholics?
The reason these principles apply universally is that they can be understood
both philosophically (through human reason) and theologically (through God's
revelation).
14. Why does CST not tell us exactly how we should act in a given situation?
Notwithstanding its statements concerning reproductive ethics, the Church
does not usually propose single, concrete teachings on social issues. This means
that faithful Catholics, and non-Catholics, can disagree as to how the principles of
CST should be applied in a specific situation. The reason for this is that the Church
recognizes three distinct "levels" in its social teachings, each of which demands a
different level of assent. The highest level is that of universal moral principles,
those that require the assent of, and are morally binding upon, all people. The
next level is formal Church teaching, which is binding on Catholics only. The third
level is the application of the universal principles to specific ethical situations, an
application that involves "prudential judgments ... that can change or which can be
interpreted differently by people of good will."