Krscanski pristup demokratskom drustvu

In: Politicka misao, Band 31, Heft 4, S. 4-16

Abstract

The author analyzes the crux of the Christian social creed & its relevance for the issue of the organization of a modern society. Christian tenets are universal & thus above party politics. The starting point of the Christian vision of society & the precepts of natural order & natural right are the cornerstones of the demand for the inviolability of individuals. Human rights imply ethical consideration: an interdiction against exploitation & hypocrisy & recognition of the quality of people. Unlike an individual, a society is a fortuity having no substantial reality: it is but a set of relationships among individuals. A society is nevertheless recognized as autonomous & pluralistic. It develops its own dynamics & contradictions, which call for studied efforts to maintain social balance. That is why the mediation of state in a society is requisite. The state is defined by the contemporary Christian canon (in line with Thomas Aquinas) as an institution fundamental in establishing a consummate human community. The scope of a state's activities is restricted: state intervention must take into consideration individual & collective rights & be in the service of achieving the common good. Adapted from the source document.