THE PRINCIPLES OF

SOCIAL ETHICS
 Where does the Following
Statement Come From?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that
all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,
that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to
secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the
consent of the governed, That whenever any
Form of Government becomes destructive of
these ends, it is the
Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government, laying its foundation
on such principles and organizing its powers in
such form, as to them shall seem most likely to
effect their Safety and Happiness.
 Declaration
Of
Independence
 What enables us to recognize and
understand God’s command to do
good and avoid evil?

Human intellect
 What enables us to choose good with
the guidance of our conscience and
obey God’s law of love?

FREE WILL
 The teachings of Social Ethics (SE)
will attempt to teach us to
understand how societies work and
what moral principles and values
ought to guide them
 The roots of SE teaching goes back to
the Hebrew prophets who claim God’s
special love for the poor and called
His chosen people to be just, loving,
and peace-filled.
 These principles flow primarily from
the life of Christ, who proclaimed the
good news to the poor and taught His
followers how to recognize and
respond to the least in our midst
 The Nine Principles of SET
 Human Dignity
 Respect for Life
 Family / Community Participation
 Rights and Duties
 Common Good
 Option for the Poor
 Work and Workers
 Solidarity
 Stewardship
 1. Human Dignity
 We are made in the image and
likeness of God. Human dignity
means we have worth and value.
This is why all the principles that
follow are true
 Everyone, regardless of race, creed,
color, nationality, religion, economic
statue, gender, deserve respect. ALL
are members of God’s family
 Our dignity does not come from what
we have or what we do; it comes
from being God’s special creation
 Every human being is created in the
image of God and redeemed by
Jesus Christ, and therefore, is
invaluable and worthy of respect as a
member of the human family
 2. Respect for Life
 All life is precious and deserving of
our respect and protection. From
conception to the end of life through
natural death, a person has inherent
dignity and a right to life consistent
with that dignity.
 Unless human life is treated as
sacred and respected as such, we
cannot have a just society
3. Family, Community Participation
 A person is not only sacred but social
 The family is the central social
institution
 People also have the right and duty
to participate in society seeking the
common good and welfare of all
 God has a communal and social
nature (God is a Triune God)
 4. Rights and Responsibilities
 The most fundamental right is that of life
and what is necessary for human decency.
 Rights also have corresponding
responsibilities to each other, to our
families, and to the larger society
 Human dignity and healthy community can
only be achieved if human rights are
protected and responsibilities are met
 5. Common Good
 Social conditions that permit individuals to
reach their full human potential.
 The 3 elements of common good:

A) Respect for and promotion of the

fundamental rights of the person
B) Prosperity; social well being and
development of the group
C) Peace and security of the group and its
members
 6. Option of the Poor
 How are our most vulnerable
members doing?
 Jesus taught we must put the needs
of the poor first. The powerless and
poor need our protection.
 The poor deserve respect and the
ability to participate and to share in
God’s creation
 7. Work and Workers Rights
 The economy must serve the people,
not the other way around.
 Workers rights: Productive work, fair
wage, decent conditions, economic
incentive, private property, etc…
Respecting these rights promotes an
economy that protects human life,
defends human rights, and advances
the well being of all.
 8. Solidarity
 We are our brother’s keeper
 We are responsible for each other’s
well being.
 Pope John Paul II wrote “Because we
are all really responsible for all.”
 9. Stewardship
 We are called to protect people,
planet, and living our faith in
relationship with all of God’s
creation.
 We respect God by being good
stewards of the earth
 Definitions of What it is to be
Human
 Man, when perfected, is the best of
animals, but, when separated from law
and justice, he is the worst of all
-Aristotle-
 Man is heaven’s masterpiece
-Francis Quarles-
 You have created us for yourself, and our
heart is not quiet until it rests in You.
-St Augustine-
 We Are In Charge Of God’s
Creation
 Respect for nature and respect for
human life are inextricably related
 Respect for life extends also to the
rest of creation. Other species,
ecosystems, and even distinctive
landscapes give glory to God.
 The covenant given to Noah was a
promise to all the earth
 The diversity of life manifests God’s
glory. Every creature shares a bit of
the divine beauty
 God’s divine goodness could not be
represented by one creature alone, so
he produced many diverse creatures,
so that what was wanting to one in
representation of the divine goodness
might be supplied by another
 Hence, the whole universe together
participates in the Divine goodness
more perfectly, and it represents it
better than any single creature
 The wonderful variety of the natural
world is, therefore, part of the Divine
plan and , as such, invites our
respect
 Accordingly, it is appropriate that we
treat other creatures and the natural
world not just as a means to human
fulfillment, but also as God’s
creatures, possessing an
independent value, worthy of our
respect and care
How Do We Show Respect For
God’s Creation?
 By preserving natural environments
 By protecting endangered species
 By making human environments
compatible with local ecology, by
employing appropriate technology
 By carefully evaluating technological
innovations
 Care for the earth is a duty of our
faith and a sign of our concern for all
people.
 We should strive to live simply to
meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own
needs
 As stewards we should strive for a
world in which people respect and
protect all of creation and seek to
live simply in harmony with it for the
sake of future generations
 What Does it Mean to be Human?
 If God is our Father then we are all
brothers and sisters
 Our view of how humans should act

depends on how we see ourselves

* If we see ourselves as bad we won’t be
too concerned about acting responsibly
* If we see ourselves in God’s image then
we will reflect on His creation and respect
all around us
 What is a Right?
 A claim we can make on each other
and society for basic minimum
conditions.
 A right is not something that is
earned; they are due because we are
made in God’s image and likeness
 Some Rights Are:

* Universal *
For every human being
* Inviolable *
Untouchable, b/c it comes from God
* Inalienable
Inherent and beyond challenge. No
one has a right to take them away b/c
they are due us as children of God
 We are Unique
 We all possess a spiritual and
immortal soul that has two powers:
A. Intellect – it allows us to think
B. Free Will – it allows us to choose
and to love

This spiritual nature makes humans

unique among creation
 What Rights do Humans Have?
 Private property
 Set up a family
 Worship
 Proper development of life
 Food / shelter / clothing
 Education
 Medical care
 Rest
 Freedom of movement (Where to live)
 We are social as the Trinity is a
community so all choices must be
acted on in relationship with others
 With every free choice is a
corresponding responsibility
 We have a responsibility to respect
other people’s rights. We cannot
claim rights while ignoring our
responsibilities
 What is Our Personal
Responsibility?
 To develop our potential
 Glorify God by cooperating with his
plan for creation
 To be compassionate as our God is
compassionate
 To love unconditionally as God loves
 In short, our vocation is to be like
Jesus
 Justice
 Are charity and justice synonymous?
Yes? Yes?
Yes? Yes?

NO? No?
No? No?
 Charity cannot substitute for justice.
Charity is geared toward immediate
needs, private, individual acts. Social
justice it targeted toward change,
long term needs; to change unjust
institutions.
 What would be charity and what
would be justice in the parable of the
“Good Samaritan?
 When Are We Just?

When we are faithful, i.e. when we

love God above all, love our neighbor
as ourselves and respect and use
God’s earth wisely

 We get this from Biblical justice.

Biblical justice is fidelity to God,
neighbor, and to God’s created goods
 Fidelity: strict observance of
promises, duties, etc.
 God forms a covenant with Abraham
binding himself to an open-ended
contract of love
 God promises to be faithful to
Abraham (giving him land, children,
descendents). The Hebrews were to
remain faithful to the covenant, to
obey God by living upright, just lives
 Jesus is God’s new covenant with us,
He reveals justice in the flesh and His
fundamental teaching is--LOVE
 Love and Service
 Jesus is God’s new covenant with us, He reveals
justice in the flesh and His fundamental teaching
is–
LOVE
 “Love one another as I have loved you.”
 Before Jesus ascends to heaven He forms a just
community to carry on His work. What are his
criteria for membership? –
SERVICE
 “Anyone who wants to become great among you
must be your servant. Anyone who wants to first
among you must be a slave to all,”
 Justice and Society
 The three divine persons are bound
in a community of love. God is one
divine being but a community of
relationships.
 Society is a group of persons bound
together by a principle of unity that
goes beyond them – we are
responsible for each other
 What Groups are We Part of?
 Family- the first and most basic is
family, immediate and extended.
The foundation of all society is the
family
 The breakdown of the family
structure destroys the structure of
society as a whole.
 The breakdown continues to neighborhood,
school, clubs and community, city, state,
region, nation, and world
 We belong to a city of world citizens as well
as these other communities
 We all have one thing on common—the
HUMAN PERSON
 Societies exist for the benefit of the human
person (not the other way around). The
rules, laws, and procedures of society must
serve the people (not vice versa)
 Think of our participation in both
community and family
 We cannot survive infancy without
the family structure. We are
dependent on our family for survival
 We cannot survive living together as
a collection of people without
government authority
 Both institutions exist to promote the
individual, to help the individual
develop their talents. Participation
helps develop these
 Subsidiarity
 What associations/organizations do we
participate in?
 sports teams,
 religious groups,
 political parties,
 neighborhood associations,
 clubs, etc.
 These all have some sort of authoritative
structure
 The principle of subsidiarity is that
larger social organization (like the
Federal Govt.) should not take over
what individuals or lower associations
can accomplish on their own. What
are some examples?

 This helps promote “common good”

 Common Good
 Common good is the sum of those
conditions of social life which allow
social groups and their individual
member’s access to their fulfillment

 There are 3 essential elements to

common good:
Respect for the Human Person

Public authorities must

respect the fundamental
inalienable rights of each
human being
Social well being / Development

Public authorities must

enable groups to
develop socially,
economically, politically,
culturally, and
religiously
 Foster Peace

Without peace it is
impossible to
establish a just
society
 Social Charity / Solidarity
 Being committed to practicing justice (fostering
common good)
 We are our brothers keeper. We are responsible
for each other.
 The poor and powerless are unable to secure
their own rights. It is our responsibility to help so
they can take an active role in society and
contribute to the common good.
 By helping others so they can contribute helps
promote our own common good
 What are some things we can do for the poor?
COMMON PROBLEMS=COMMON
GROUND
What common
experience is available
to ALL humanity
(and animals)?
 What one universal reality impinges
on all humanity and can be pointed to
with one word? ___________!!

SUFFERING
 SUFFERING
 There is a tremendous amount of
suffering in today’s world (first of all,
human suffering)
 If there is not more suffering today
than there ever was, we at least
seem more aware of it
 It also seems more threatening and
unsettling than ever before
 Interrelated Faces of Suffering
1. POVERTY-Approximately ¼ of the
human population does not have
enough of the worlds goods to
provide food, shelter, and medical
care to meet the needs of their
families
 Poverty dehumanizes, and a vast

majority of the human race is so

dehumanized
2. VICTIMIZATION- This is pain
resulting not just from being poor but
from being made and kept poor by
other human beings
 To be taken advantage of, excluded,

overpowered by others
 There is bounty enough to go around

but it doesn’t go around because of

the choices and policies made by
those with economic, political and
military power
3. PATRIARCHY- Women bear a
disproportionate burden of humanity’s
suffering
 Statistically, females are more susceptible

to encounter poverty, domestic violence,

are victims of the ever growing sex trade,
and rape is often used as a weapon of war
 The reality of patriarchy—male domination

over females
 In some countries women are considered

inferior and what is inferior is used and

abused rather than respected and valued
 Suffering of the Earth and its
Creatures
 There is also suffering of the earth and the
creatures inhabited by it.
 A growing number of humans are abusing
the resources of the earth by their
irresponsible consumption and waste of
these resources
 We are wreaking havoc on the life-giving
and the life-sustaining capacities of the
planet that is home to all species.
 This a form of suffering that threatens
everyone
 The threat of global warming or a hole in
the ozone layer is as great a menace to
inhabitants in Beverly Hills as to the
occupants of a Chicago ghetto
 This threat is not just for us but for future
generations that we hope will follow us
 The common ground of a threatened
planet provides all humanity with a
common agenda
4. VIOLENCE- Poverty and victimization
are both forms of violence. They are
often the cause or context of the
physical violence between spouses,
social classes, and ethnic groups.
 Physical and military violence

continue to plague our world

 The ability to destroy the earth (with

nuclear weapons) is a grave and

dangerous possibility and the
availability of nuclear weapons to
rogue nations increases
 The Natural Law
 Social principles come from 2 sources:
1. God’s revelation to us. Especially the
teaching and life of Jesus Christ

2. Natural law- the natural law is written

on the human heart (Rm 2:14-15). It can
be discovered through human reason;
every thinking person can discover it.
*It is the light of
understanding infused in us
by God
* The natural law, like the
teachings of Jesus, discovers
and expresses human dignity
which is the basis for all rights
and responsibilities
 Truth, Justice, Love
 Just societies must be based on truth,
justice, and love
 They remind us that the common good
applies to future generations as well
 Each individual has obligations to society,
so does society have obligations to the
individual
 Everyone must have access to political,
economic, social and cultural arenas.
 It must create a wholesome climate that
does not undermine virtuous living
 What are some examples in our
society that help promote truth
justice and love? Here at CBHS?
 Jubilee Schools
 Diversity in our school
 Mission collection
 Vigilant awareness for racial equality
 Freedom of worship
 Ability to elect leaders
 Opportunity of Education
 What are some ways in which our society
does not promote Justice and love?
 Legalized abortion
 Death penalty
 Euthanasia
 Wasting of natural resources
 Corrupt leaders of society
 Physical accomplishments are worth more
than intellectual ones
 Divisions and Kinds of Laws
 1. Eternal/Natural Law: the plan of
divine wisdom as directing all acts
and movements. The cosmic order
established by God. The harmony
found in the world—from the great
planets to the minuscule atoms.
 Scientists call this the law of nature,
believers acknowledge it as Gods
creation or eternal law
 Eternal law is the primordial law
(beginning, giving origin to). It is the
foundation of all law.
 It is intrinsic- it orders the universe
internally by God’s providence
 It is universal- it applies to every creature
 It’s purpose is to facilitate order and to
establish harmony in the universe and the
social order
 2. Natural Law: the rational creature’s
participation in the eternal law
 The natural law is written on the hearts of
every human being, as it applies to human
life
 Our bodies themselves operate in order/
harmony
 It makes no sense to say we are ordered
toward life and growth, but free to live a
disordered life
 Characteristics of Natural Law
 1. Universality—it applies to
everyone
 2. Immutability—it does not change

 The natural law offers governments a

base on which to formulate just laws
that can regulate the common good
of society
 Law of Nature / Natural Law
 Laws of nature are descriptions of the
behavior of the material universe. A rock
cannot know if it is falling in accordance to
its nature or not. A rock simply falls
 Natural law is a law of reason. It is the
command that human reason gives
regarding what actions should be done
(b/c they are in accord with human
nature) and avoided (those contrary)
 The Law of Good and Evil
 Good and evil have a foundation based on
the truth.
 It is evil to kill an innocent person not
because our laws prohibit it, but because
every person has the right to life
 It is evil to slander because a persons
reputation belongs to him, not because
society prohibits such actions
 The same can be said for good.
 To help rehabilitate a criminal is good
because it respects human dignity
 Giving alms is good because it is
practicing charity