Justice, Solidarity, and Subsidiarity

one

Subsidiarity is the principle by which we take personal responsibility and make a specific contribution to the common good.

God created each person in His image with intelligence and a free-will.

We are to use our freedom and initiative to take responsibility, be creative, be innovative and have a mutual concern for others that leads us to care for them and to care for the common good.

As a society, business, parish or family we should foster conditions in which individuals or small groups can express their distinct character and make their distinct contribution.

Subsidiarity safeguards the role of the individual and helps them grow in personal responsibility.

two

The second principle, Solidarity reminds us we are all in this together and we are responsible for one another; we are our brother’s keepers.

Solidarity makes sure we don’t all just become radical individualists with no responsibility or care for others. In this way it safeguards the good of the community

We need one another and help one another by sharing our material and spiritual gifts through generosity, mercy and forgiveness.

CCC 1936-37 On coming into the world man is not equipped with everything he needs for developing his bodily and spiritual life. He needs others. Differences appear tied to age, physical abilities, intellectual or moral aptitudes, the benefits derived from social commerce and the distribution of wealth. The talents are not distributed equally. These differences belong to God’s plan, who wills that each receive what he needs from others, and that those endowed with particular talents share the benefits with those who need them. These differences encourage and often oblige persons to practice generosity, kindness and sharing of goods…

God designed each person with gifts and needs

1.  Gifts to give to others

2.  Needs that demand we also receive

This giving and receiving creates friendship, community and joy.

Life on the farm during the depression

·       Greatest time of their life

three

Subsidiarity protects us against Collectivism, Communism, Socialism and a Well-fare state

Though we are responsible for one another we must not do for others what they should do for themselves, thus preventing them from growing in freedom and responsibility which enables them to mature and reach their full potential as a person.

As human beings, there are certain things that only individuals can do – that the collective cannot do. Think of the difference between a classic text and a text book

·       A Classic, like The Conte of Monte Cristo, puts you in touch with a great mind

·       A text book puts you in touch with a committee of mediocre minds

There are certain things that individuals can do well that groups can’t do well like being innovative and making breakthroughs. No committee ever invented anything.

If you remove the individual’s distinctive character and contribution you lose innovation. It is the role of those in authority to communicate to individuals what their role, responsibility and expectations are and equip them, but not to the point of micromanaging. The danger of socialism or communism is that the government takes over and does for the individual what they should be doing. Good intentioned but overreaching parents do can fall into the same trap by doing everything for their kids and never letting them suffer failure and consequences from which they learn and grow in responsibility and maturity.  

If an individual can fulfill their responsibilities and role without you intervening, then don’t intervene, let them do it on their own so they can mature and reach their potential.

four

Solidarity protects us against selfish individualism.

If every individual is only looking out for themselves the society, be it a family, a business or a nation, becomes a nightmare.

I am obliged to not only look after my own interests but also the interests of others and the common good.

Unrestricted or unregulated capitalism, otherwise known as Laissez-Faire Capitalism in a fallen world becomes greed run amuck and the exploitation of workers and the poor. 

The Gov’t is there to provide limits to freedom and step in when the limit of right and wrong is crossed and the individual or common good is harmed. But the Gov’t should not take over and do what Individuals or families or small businesses could do, thus destroying their freedom, initiative, creativity and responsibility.

There are two extremes to be avoided. The first is for the state to ignore solidarity, and to just let the market go its own way. Then the rich will continue to get richer, the poor will continue to get poorer, and before long you’ll have a system of domination and control instead of a healthy, innovative market. Or, extreme two, the government can just take over everything, from personal paychecks to business creation to employment opportunities – thus ignoring subsidiarity. Then we’ll get a horrible, inefficient, and depersonalizing nightmare, not unlike the former Soviet bloc. Either way, a healthy economy will go down the tubes, and with it a significant part of human fulfillment. That’s why the balance of subsidiarity and solidarity has to be kept both in mind and in practice.

five

My son Xavier taught me about Subsidiarity and Solidarity when he wanted to build a tree house

I interpreted Xavier saying he wanted a tree house built for him

I can’t build anything

·       So I called a friend who is like McGyver – he can make anything

·       He came and built the most amazing tree house for Xavier

·       The Taj Mahal of Tree Houses

Xavier hated it

·       Refused to go up into it

·       The Next day – Xavier got the scraps of wood, saw, hammer and nails and built a piece of junk on his own - in the other tree

What did I miss? Xavier wanted to build a tree house

·       Xavier wanted to use his freedom, initiative and creativity to build something and in the process grow and mature as an individual.

·       He needed my help – that is the solidarity portion - but he did not want me to push him aside and do it for him.

·       I left both as a constant reminder to protect the role of the individual

Now we have skipped the third error which is an entitlement attitude. To have an entitlement attitude means I think I don’t have to take responsibility for myself or for others. I think its obvious why that one is wrong.