Foundational Social Principles Explained

The Principle of Solidarity

Solidarity is the search for the good of all and each, encompassing both legal and economic rules, as well as the relationships between people.

Solidarity: Moral Virtue vs. Principle

As an ordering principle of social institutions, solidarity serves the common good and helps overcome "structures of sin" arising from selfishness, lust for power, and exclusive profit.

Solidarity is not a vague feeling of compassion. It is the firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good, that of all and each, because we are all responsible for each other.

Defining the Common Good

The common good is the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and easily.

Characteristics of the Common Good

• Elastic and Integral: It is a reality that covers everything from basic living conditions to the most complex aspects, affecting the whole person – body and spirit.
• Subordinated to the Person's Good: It serves the good of each individual.
• Variable yet Constant: Its concrete expressions vary historically, but its essential conditions remain constant.
• Morally Binding: It requires commitment from all subjects of social life, including authorities and citizens.

The Principle of Subsidiarity

A social structure of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving it of its powers. Instead, it should support it in case of need and help coordinate its activity with that of the rest of society, always towards the common good.

Key Features of Subsidiarity

• Rational Character: It is inherently logical and reasonable.
• Universality: It is widely applicable and aligns with human nature.
• Grave Importance: Its correct application is crucial for achieving the Common Good.
• Bedrock Principle: Its application does not lead to serious social risks or shocks.
• Immutable: It is a fundamental and unchanging principle.

The Principle of Participation

Citizens, individually or collectively, directly or through representatives, should take the necessary action to contribute to the cultural, economic, social, and political life of the civil society to which they belong.

Organic Conception of Social Life

This principle encourages a social structure that fosters the free association of individuals in intermediate bodies, positioned between the authority and the individual person.

Understanding Social Justice

Social justice refers to the kind of justice concerned with the social question, fundamental individual rights, and the pursuit of the Common Good at national, international, and global levels. It serves as the legitimating principle of the rule of law.

It also aims to positively channel other principles within a legal framework.

Functions of Social Justice

• Promoting the Common Good
• Convergence Function
• Creative Function
• Denunciation Function
• Redesign Function