Social Justice...definition, please

[Newbie2]

How would you define the term “Social Justice”? Not by what it does, or that the RCC supports and preaches it, but I’m looking for a good, concise definition.

PS It’s more difficult than it seems. We all know what it is, but it’s difficult to define.

Related question: Isn’t all Justice a social matter, so isn’t the “Social” justice in “Social Justice” redundant?

 

[St_Francis]

How would you define the term “Social Justice”? Not by what it does, or that the RCC supports and preaches it, but I’m looking for a good, concise definition.

PS It’s more difficult than it seems. We all know what it is, but it’s difficult to define.

Related question: Isn’t all Justice a social matter, so isn’t the “Social” justice in “Social Justice” redundant?

The virtue of justice is to give each man his due. We see this on an individual basis, in that we pay for things we acquire, keep our promises, provide restitution when we cause damage, honor people in authority like our parents or the police, etc.

On the governmental level, they engage in many of the same things but they themselves have authority to enforce the meting out of justice, and they are supposed to do this in a fair way, not giving some “more justice” than others, etc.

On the social level, which is synonymous with the government to varying extents, and involves social structures which allow for justice to be spread throughout society, not a situation in which some live at the expense of others. An example of a gross violation of social justice would be those companies which paid their workers in company scrip, forcing workers to rent and buy back from the companies for which they were working. An example of adherence to social justice would be good medieval socieities in which people belonged to guilds, which acted as mediators with other parts of society, which so had other mediating and balancing forces: the nobility acted as a check against the power of the king and vice versa, etc.

One of the major things I got from my reading of the social encyclicals was that people are supposed to work together (solidarity) on problems, rather than the current adversarial dog-eat-dog way we have now.

Catholic social justice differs from what many call social justice, altho there can be a lot of overlap in ideas. When discussing or reading about SJ, I try to determine whether the other is using the term in its true, Catholic sense, or as a cover for socialist/leftist/progressivist ideas which do not align with Catholic thought.

As an example, I looked up social justice and reproductive rights and sure enough, people are advocating “reproductive rights” --birth control and abortion-- under the term social justice. This causes a lot of confusion, as someone might say, I don’t like social justice, meaning they don’t like leftist ideas, then be vilkfied for not following Catholic teaching.

 

[Barbkw]

It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.

 

[Roman63]

How’s this? “Social justice is the concept that says society idealy should be just, or fair, and a society’s members should make this desired ‘justice’ a goal.”

Respectfully,
Roman63

 

[GEddie]

Related question: Isn’t all Justice a social matter, so isn’t the “Social” justice in “Social Justice” redundant?

It is, to an extent, in the sense that justice is a concern within the framework of a general society. Justice is not a concern for a human being on a deserted island.

However, when we say social justice, we do not mean such aspects of the “J word” as criminal law or other limits on individuals; but just relations among various sectors in the society itself. Because these sectors are defined to a great extent by economic power or the lack thereof, “social justice” is near synonymous with “economic justice.” It can be achieved only by the general cooperation of the entire society.

In recent years, “social justice” has become associated by some with “social overcorrection,” in which everything that is done by or on behalf of “the poor” is condoned. This is an error; social justice is not just social injustice that changes sign. Catholic SJ differs from secular or political SJ in this respect.

God Bless and ICXC NIKA.

 

[MissionDiakonos]

If you look at the USCCB Website, the bishops have outlined 7 key themes to Catholic Social Teacing (They do not term it social justice)usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml. At the very heart and basis for each of these themes is the ihnerent right to life and the inherent dignity of each human person. The progressive term and ideology of what is termed in many cases “social justice” has little to do with justice and has only a social context in marxist ideology.

 

[St_Francis]

I think it is important for us to remember that “social justice” is a *Catholic *term hijacked by others, and that perhaps we ought to reclaim it rather than continually giving in to this. (However, I do clarify what I am talking about when I use the term.)

Social justice was coined because of its basis in justice, distributive justice. It is not merely a teaching in which we are supposed to believe, but a virtue towards which we are supposed to work.

It is very easy for us to simply say, oh, those _________ people, they just want more money, more power, whatever. This is not the attitude we are supposed to have. We are supposed to consider the situation and work towards a solution *with *the people. So, a plant manager may have a meeting with some of the workers who demand a raise. Meanwhile, the plant manager knows that the company is considering closing the plant because it doesn’t make much money. The two groups need to *get together *and see what sort of solution they can come up with rather than be at each other’s throats, each accusing the other of trying to lie and undermine them, etc.

Social justice is not simply something the governmet is supposed to impose on us, it is something we are all supposed to engage in as well as working towards in our society, and by working towards, I don’t refer only to political action but to working with people, whether it’s by our prayer intentions, charitable use of our time, or trying to teach local people aout these principles.

 

[MillTownCath]

I would say a good example of Catholic social justice its support of worker’s rights.

2426 The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of persons, of the whole man, and of the entire human community. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social justice so as to correspond to God’s plan for man.

2425 The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with “communism” or “socialism.” She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of “capitalism,” individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor.

Milwaukee Archbishop Listecki wrote a letter to saying that workers should not be “marginalized,” in a reference to Gov. Scott Walker’s efforts to end collective bargaining.
media.journalinteractive.com/documents/02.16.11+Archbishop+letter.pdf

 

[jwinch2]

There was a very good article on Social Justice in “This Rock” recently. It talked about common usage of the term in society and how that does not necessarily relate to church teaching on the topic. An earlier poster commented that the term had been hijacked from the church and that seems to be an apt description of the situation. Just like “charity” and other words, the church understanding and what politically correct societal understanding are significantly different at times.

Unfortunately, it seems to be quite apparent that most Catholic Christians do not know the difference between what the church teaches as social justice and what the secular understanding is in today’s society. They are distinctly different in a number of ways. Abortion, entitlement programs, gay marriage, the role of religion in society, national debt., etc. are all thought of in different ways by the church as compared to what the liberal left would define it as when it comes to social justice.

I would encourage you to check out the article in This Rock if you have a chance.

Peace,

 

[John21652]

Unfortunately, it seems to be quite apparent that most Catholic Christians do not know the difference between what the church teaches as social justice and what the secular understanding is in today’s society. They are distinctly different in a number of ways. Abortion, entitlement programs, gay marriage, the role of religion in society, national debt., etc. are all thought of in different ways by the church as compared to what the liberal left would define it as when it comes to social justice.

Peace,

For a proper understanding of the Catholic Church’s position on Social Justice it is best to start with this web site - The Social Agenda - A collection of Roman Catholic Magisterial Texts. There are nine ‘articles’ and each has it’s own set of sub-articles which cover the full gamut of Church teaching on the family, charity and the state.

People do indeed confuse the socio-political concepts of Social Justice with what the Church teaches. In general terms the former focuses on resource allocation and the latter on Charity and Subsidiarity. Subsidiarity refers to the practice of Social Justice as distinct from how a state views the concept. The definition of what constitutes Social Justice changes according to the point of view. I would ecommend that a good article to read is Article Five - The Role of State and its subsection The Role of Government. It states explicitly -

1. This intervention of public authorities that encourages, stimulates, regulates, supplements, and complements, is based on the principle of subsidiarity as set forth by Pius XI in his Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno : It is a fundamental principle of social philosophy, fixed and unchangeable, that one should not withdraw from individuals and commit to the community what they can accomplish by their own enterprise and industry. So, too, it is an injustice and at the same time a grave evil and a disturbance of right order, to transfer to the larger and higher collectivity functions which can be performed and provided for by lesser and subordinate bodies. In as much as every social activity should, by its very nature, prove a help to members of the body social, it should never destroy or absorb them

That pretty well points to the Catholic viewpoint on what Social Justice is and how it should be carried out. Unfotunately, at government level the notion of what Social Justice is becomes blurred because legislators often confuse Social Justice as Equality with Charity as it is described and encouraged by the Catholic Church. Under the catchcry of “Equality”, citizens can trample the so called ‘Moral Order’ in their demands for being equal and the concept of Social Justice becomes one of simply pandering to the calls for ‘equality’ from a noisy populace, or from noisy minorities.

In that same Article Five, under the subsection The Rule Of Law, it states -

1. But authority is not to be thought of as a force lacking all control. Indeed, since it is the power to command according to right reason, authority must derive its obligatory force from the moral order, which in turn has God for its first source and final end. Where fore our Predecessor of happy memory, Pius XII, said: The absolute order of living beings and man’s very destiny (We are speaking of man who is free, bound by obligations and endowed with inalienable rights, and at once the basis of society and the purpose for which it exists) also includes the state as a necessary society invested with the authority without which it could not come into being or live… And since this absolute order, as we learn from sound reason, and especially from the Christian faith, can have no origin save in God Who is our Creator, it follows that the dignity of the State’s authority is due to its sharing to some extent in the authority of God Himself (Pius XII, Christmas Eve Radio Message, 1944).

As we are witnessing in todays secularised western societies, with their insistence upon separation of Church and State, the ‘moral order’ is being redefined as governments seek to equate the call for equality with the secular notion of Social Justice. This secular notion of Social Justice seems to hinge on the idea of personal, or Human rights. The Church’s position is quite clear in the subsection Temporal Authority on what governments should acknowledge, which is that all power emanates from God -

1. Indeed it follows from the moral order itself that authority is necessary for civil society, for civil society is ruled by authority; and that authority cannot be used to thwart the moral order without instantly collapsing because its foundation has been destroyed.

Cont.d

 

[John21652]

Cont.d

Furthermore, most western governments are signatories to the United Nations Human Rights Charter, which further complicates the exercising of authority in a particular jurisdiction and brings to bear the scrutiny of others who may, or may not, have the interests of a particular moral order, national ethos, or world view, in mind. The Human Rights Charter states -

Every man is a joint inheritor of all the natural resources and of the powers, inventions and possibilities accumulated by our forerunners. He is entitled, within the measure of these resources and without distinction of race, colour or professed beliefs or opinions, to the nourishment, covering and medical care needed to realise his full possibilities of physical and mental development from birth to death. Notwithstanding the various and unequal qualities of individuals, all men shall be deemed absolutely equal in the eyes of the law, equally important in social life and equally entitled to the respect of their fellow-men.

You will note the further drifting away from the Catholic Church’s position on the moral order and the increased emphasis on equality. In accordance with such international covernents, governments attempt to legislate Social Justice. That does two things. Firstly it flies in the face of the Catholic Church’s position on Subsidiarity, thereby removing from individuals and communities the requirement to be charitable and, secondly, it creates anomolies when governments attempt to equally distribute resources under the pretext of making everyone ‘equal’. Bloated bureacracies and rent seeking institutions are a prime symptom.

In Article Eight, under the subsection Charity and the Preferential Option For The Poor, we are told that -

1. And yet many today go so far as to condemn the Church as the ancient pagans once did, for such outstanding charity, and would substitute in lieu thereof a system of benevolence established by the laws of the State. But no human devices can ever be found to supplant Christian charity, which gives itself entirely for the benefit of others. This virtue belongs to the Church alone, for, unless it is derived from the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, it is in no wise a virtue; and whosoever departs from the Church wanders far from Christ.(Rerum Novarum, n. 30)

There is thus a recognition that Charity disguised as Social Justice is not the true preserve of the temporal authorities and that to supplant the charitable requirements associated with Christianity with an increased role played by the state is actually a recipe for a disjointed society. In the subsection The Welfare State, it is stated -

1. In exceptional circumstances the State can also exercise a substitute function…Such supplementary interventions, which are justified by urgent reasons touching the common good, must be as brief as possible…In recent years the range of such intervention has vastly expanded, to the point of creating a new type of state, the so called Welfare State.'...However, excesses and abuses, especially in recent years, have provoked very harsh criticisms of the Welfare State, dubbed the Social Assistance State.’ Malfunctions and defects in the Social Assistance State are the result of an inadequate understanding of the tasks proper to the State. Here again the principle of subsidiarity must be respected: a community of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to coordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good. By intervening directly and depriving society of its responsibility, the Social Assistance State leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending.

Catholic doctrine places great emphasis on duties, as well as rights. Catholics have a duty to be charitable and the Church’s position on Subsidiarity is based on this duty. The abrogation of personal responsibility to the state under the heading of ‘Social Justice’ with its emphasis on ‘rights’ is altering the real meaning of that concept and it flies in the face of the Catholic meaning of Social Justice.