95 lines
5.7 KiB
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95 lines
5.7 KiB
HTML
<p>A while back when I had done a post on political parties and an
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alternative model for a Republican Democracy, I had briefly mentioned
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the importance of the <em>nature of the State</em>, in other words, the
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<i>raison d'être</i> of the State: why does it exist? The reason why
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this is an important question to ask is that, if the State is not
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serving its natural purpose then it is failing as an entity; and if it
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is not only failing, but doing so intentionally, then it is <i>ipso
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facto</i> illegitimate, as it is intentionally contradicting its own
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purpose of existence. In such a case where a State is illegitimate, it
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is important to note that this does not (necessarily) mean that any
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State would be, and therefore we should resort to anarchy; rather it is
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a call to establish a new model for the State that better enables for it
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to fulfill its natural purpose.</p>
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<p>Ultimately, the issue of the nature of the State is deeply rooted in
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the concept of the <em>Common Good</em>, which we must define first. To
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start, we must understand that Good is that which makes Man more
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virtuous, or to say it in a less technical manner, that which further
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fulfills Man in accordance to his nature. The Common Good is a Good
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which can be shared among many, and that does not diminish (or even
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increases) in value when shared among more persons. This Common Good
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will (generally) be something that enables Man access to Particular
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Goods - e.g. a social welfare programme would be a Common Good that
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enables Men access to Particular Goods such as medical attention, but
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the social welfare programme is not a Particular Good, nor is the
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medical attention a Common Good.</p>
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<p>Now, getting directly into the role of the State, it is an abstract
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entity, an institution created by Man for the purpose of making Man more
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virtuous. As it is an institution, a collective of persons, it cannot
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act directly upon Particular Goods, but rather it acts directly upon the
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Common Good. So therefore we can conclude that the State's purpose is to
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act upon the Common Good in order to enable Man's development as a human
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person. The State does this by means of the establishment and
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enforcement of <em>Human Law</em>. This Human Law must be, of course,
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ordered towards the natural development of Man, and therefore in
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accordance to <em>Natural Law</em>, which precedes and transcends it. As
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such, no Human Law is valid which contradicts the Natural Law. In the
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same manner, there is yet another Law which transcends both Human and
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Natural Laws, which is the <em>Divine Law</em>: that Law which is
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established by God Himself. Both Human and Natural Law are subject to
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this. In the case of the Natural Law, this does not contradict the
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Divine Law, as the nature of a thing derives from its essential facets,
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which are creation, created by God. It is, however, possible for fallen
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and wicked Men to create invalid human "laws" which contradict either of
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these two superior Laws (Natural & Divine), but as St. Augustine
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says: "Lex iniusta non est lex."</p>
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<p>Knowing this, we should not only stay in the realm of the
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theoretical, but apply this knowledge in a practical manner to that
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which surrounds us. Most immediately, as many of us live in some form of
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Democracy where we are able to have a (limited) say in the manner in
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which the politics of our States is carried out, we should apply this
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hypothesis when making our decisions as to what option we vote for. For
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us to promote any Human Law that contradicts with the Natural or Divine
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Laws would constitute a grave offense against the nature of the State,
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and more importantly, as Pope St. Pius X points out, "a great injustice
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to God"<sup><a href="#r1" >[1]</a></sup>.</p>
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<p>Unfortunately, it is true that most of our Modern States already
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suffer from this kind of violence, of "laws" that not only enable but
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even go so far as to promote evil. This, however, should come as no
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surprise considering the age of hedonism in which we live in combination
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with our democratic system of governance. If we (falsely) understand
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that the legitimacy of the State derives from majority support and not
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from something that transcends it, that all that is needed for the State
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to be functioning in an ordered manner is for it to follow the majority
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opinion, then we arrive at the false conclusions of our current age,
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where <em>we</em> are the ones who define what is just and unjust rather
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that a value which transcends both Men and States alike. For a society
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in which we, fallen Men, are allowed to create our <em>own</em> justice
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and truth is one where we will tend towards our disordered passions.
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This is especially dangerous when speaking about the State, as the
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Common Good is that which can help to reorient us towards our own
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personal fulfillment rather than our passions; but if this same State is
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failing in its duty and deviating us from the Path, promoting evil, then
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it will bring many who may have otherwise been saints down with it to
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eternal damnation.</p>
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<p>I do not pretend here to give a solution as to any system of
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governance or policy that must be considered. I have my own preferences
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on the matter, but I do not deem it appropriate to share these here, as
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each should come to his own conclusion based upon the ideas proposed.
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But I do believe it vital that we consider this and realize the truly
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degraded state of our modern societies and their States, and begin to
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consider and put forward proposals, as well as take action, so as to
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change this current decadent state of affairs and turn it into something
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that truly leads to human development and progress.</p>
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<p>Pope St. Pius X, pray for us.</p>
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<ol class="refs" >
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<li id="r1" ><a href="http://www.vatican.va/content/pius-x/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-x_enc_11021906_vehementer-nos.html" target="_blank" ><i>Vehementer Nos</i></a> § 3, Pope St. Pius X</li>
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</ol>
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