Chelsea Antoinette I. Aseniero│ Gr. 12 HUMSS │ ReEd - Mr.

Ardina

The Person and Society

Critique Paper

In the Summaries of Catholic Teaching series, The Person and Society is a

religious doctrinal outline that many people find helpful in getting to know the
Catholic faith better and explaining it to others. This is because unlike most
religious doctrines, The Person and Society doesn’t have God as the sole
explanation to every faucet of human life including the way we act. Instead of
explaining the way that we act, the doctrine explains through the quote “We are
social before we are moral”. This point is further supported through the six sections
of the article. For instance, Social nature of human beings explains that God
created us to be social creatures therefore stating that our attitudes as social
creatures in society is not artificial but an intrinsic part of our human nature.

Additionally in Society, this point is further proven through the statement

that our social nature is expressed in the setting of society. The religious doctrine
does more to explain the nature of human beings in its six sections, it essentially
boils down to supporting the train of thought that says that no man is an island.
Which does more to help understand ourselves as human beings. Since instead of
us believing that the way we are is plainly because God made us so, it presents an
argument that has actual ground. The statement “We are social before we are
moral” has merit through the laws and social constructs that present our society.

Though it is easy to believe that otherwise, the way that we act as members
of society proves this point. As we think of what is socially acceptable before
thinking of what is morally acceptable. The topic of morals opens another can of
worms that is yet to be opened, but the fact that being social is an intrinsic part of
human nature is true and has proved to be so.