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Epistemological Structure

kamal-arnold
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Epistemological Structure

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  1. “this social doctrine reflects three levels of theological-moral teaching: the foundational level of motivations; the directive level of norms for life in society; the deliberative level of consciences, called to mediate objective and general norms in concrete and particular social situations. These three levels implicitly define also the proper method and specific epistemological structure of the social doctrine of the Church.” (CSD 73) The Church’s social doctrine proposes a "set of principles for reflection, criteria for judgment and directives for action“. (SRS 41)

  2. Epistemological Structure Traditional Moral Reasoning Catholic Social Thought Principles(theology/nature) (prudential judgment) Rules (circumstances/ relationships) Principles (theology/nature) (social science) Criteria (prudential judgment) Rules (circumstances/ relationships)

  3. Two Implications • CST is not only a body of knowledge, but a method • For Catholic scholars, social science constitutes a moral vocation

  4. Catholic Social Thought:The Compendium’s Stool of Three legs Human Dignity Solidarity Subsidiarity Common Good

  5. Dignity of the Human Person • Worth of human persons distinct from all other creation and relative to God • Super-principle of CST • Modern formulation of biblical idea

  6. Human dignity Four key characteristics . . • Inviolable • Distinct • Equal • Axiomatic

  7. Human dignity • Affirms rationality (like Kant) … • but as reflecting God’s image (like Aquinas)

  8. Human dignity • Worth of human persons • Distinct from all other creation: Persons do not have merely value (means to be used or owned). • Relative to God: Persons also have worth (ends to be worshipped, like God)

  9. “A just society can become a reality only when it is based on the respect of the transcendent dignity of the human person. The person represents the ultimate end of society, by which it is ordered to the person. …Every political, economic, social, scientific and cultural program must be inspired by the awareness of the primacy of each human being over society[248].” (CSD 132)

  10. Common good • Principle of unity in society • Relation of the one to the all • Recognizes that human life has a specific character and content • The exercise of a right for the common good = virtue • Orders and restrains all individual attributes, rights (Social justice or general justice)

  11. Subsidiarity • Relation of all to the one • Principle of articulation in society • Focuses the goal of society on the person, not the other way around • Privileges self-determination over social control • Orders and restrains all social attributes, powers (Distributive justice)

  12. Solidarity • Relation of the one to the other • Principle of relation in society • Focuses on the social imperative of human persons • Affirms that society precedes and outlasts the person • Orders and restrains human-to-human and group-to-group interactions (Commutative justice)

  13. CommonGood Subsidiarity Solidarity • Relation of the one to the many • Principle of unity in society • Orders and restrains all individual attributes, rights (Social justice) • Relation of the many to the one • Principle of articulation in society • Orders and restrains all social attributes, powers (Distributive justice) • Relation of the one to the other • Principle of relation in society • Orders and restrains human-to-human and group-to-group interactions (Commutative justice)

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