Socialism vs Human Dignity & The Dynamics of Trust and Faith
Why is socialism detrimental to the true dignity of the human person?
As paragraph 1929 of the Catechism suggests, social justice cannot be achieved if a person’s true dignity is not realized.[1] “Society ensures social justice when it provides the conditions that allow associations or individuals to obtain what is their due according to their nature and vocation”.[2] Socialism is often concerned with universalism, which weighs the good of the system over the good of people. “Socialism considers the individual person simply as an element, a molecule within the social organism so that the good of the individual is completely subordinated to the functioning of the socio-economic mechanism.”[3] When it comes to racism, which befell Nazi Germany, this can be severely problematic. In the case of the Nazis, genocide may be seen as a necessity because to the Nazis, not all men have the same human dignity. Rather, the good of not just the majority, but also the rights of the individual should be considered because of this common dignity. In other words, the common good cannot be common if it does not presuppose “respect for the person”.[4] This common dignity consists of seeing others as “another self”. It realizes that all are not only created in the image of God and all are redeemed/loved by Christ, but also that how we treat the least of them we also treat Christ.[5] Every form of discrimination against the fundamental rights and deprivation of the common dignity of man is contrary to God’s design.[6]
What are two stages of faith? How does trust relate to these aspects of faith? And how does all this come together to provide the authority by which Catholics may rely on the Church?
It is clear in life that there are certain risks in most of our actions. When we use our electric appliances, we trust they won’t catch fire as we sleep, a manufacturer trusts the success of the company on the calculations of a few engineers, etc. Once we realize the gravity of some of the risks we take in life, the risk of faith is comparatively small(salvation). In such faith, we find that faith is rewarded with greater faith. In the first sense faith is an act of the will and then it is rewarded by knowledge/understanding. As we assent to truth, we find that other truths can be derived from it and that others connect and interrelate. When one wills trust in what cannot be proven then their experience in trust is often not found wanting. As Catholics, when our faith becomes our own, we ask ourselves, “why should we trust the Church whose leaders have always been human?” However, as we recall all who have trusted in the Church, we give it a chance. As we proceed with caution, we discover our faith in the Church helps us grow closer to the God who works through it. Two quotations that affirm this are as follows: “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand”[7] and “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”[8]
What do these questions have in common?
It is interesting to me that both questions incorporate trust.
Socialism can be seen as a lack of acceptance of God’s trust in ourselves. Thus,
socialism creates a system to force every man to complete his duties. It is
almost as if socialism is predicated upon a man's lack of trust in man. Because
as you said, man has been entrusted to his vocations and is even called beyond
them. In terms of the second question, we must likewise trust in God’s faithfulness
lest we adhere to the world and its temptations, because of concern that God
won’t provide.[9] This reveals man’s sinfulness, for who feels they can trust
others if they betray trust themselves. If one thus does not trust even God,
how can they trust men?
FN:
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 1929.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1928.
- Pope John Paul II. Encyclical Letter to His Venerable Brother Bishops in the Episcopate, the Priests, Deacons, Families of Men and Women of Good Will on the hundredth anniversary of Rerum novarum. Centesimus annus, §13 (1 May 1991).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1907.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1931, 1934.; The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org, Matthew 25:40.
- Vatican II, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the World, Gaudium et spes, (7 December 1965), 29 § 2.
- Augustine of Hippo, Tractate, 29, trans. Gibb John, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: First Series, ed. Philip Schaff, vol. 7, Augustine: Tractates on the Gospel of John (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature, 1888), at New Advent, www.newadvent.org.
- Chesterton, G. K. The Essential Gilbert K. Chesterton. Orthodoxy, Heretics What's Wrong with the World. Radford, VA: Wilder, 2007.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 215.
