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Abstract: Concord - what Keeps Family and Society Connected. Among the many topics which need to be addressed in a particular way when treating this question, the social aspect of the family is of significant importance. Marriage comes into being when the mutual consent to give themselves to each other for their whole lives, is offered between man and woman. But it is not sufficient that man and woman say "yes" to each other, for marriage to come into existence. Another aspect is necessary: that this action may have a social existence and that it may be acknowledged as such in the society where the couple lives. The good of the society and the good of the family are mutually related.
According to Aristotle, and later on according to St. Thomas Aquinas, man is a “political animal” or a “social animal”. Therefore, it is not only a question of the individual good of man, but also that of the “whole” of people, which must not be confused with the good of all (which would only mean the sum of the individuals’ good). Asking what the goal of society or of the community is, means asking what the “common good” is.
According to St. Thomas, the common good is the virtue of justice and without this form of good there cannot be any concord among people. The peculiarity of St. Thomas’ perspective is manifested in the fact that it highlights the connection between the common good and the virtues. Indeed, the common good consists in the exercise of the virtues by the members of a community as members of this community. This approach in understanding the concept of the common good is certainly different, but not opposed, to the one that has already become customary today, according to which the common good comprises the whole of social-life conditions which allow persons, families and groups to fulfil themselves better and more easily.
The common good refers not only to the good of the society, but also to the good of the particular communities within society, among which the family is the first and the most fundamental one. Since virtues, according to St. Thomas, are integrated within charity, it is simply impossible to strive to achieve family-concord without striving to achieve also the good of society. Conversely, working to achieve the common good of the society cannot be accomplished without also working for the good of the family.
Keywords: common good, concord, family, marriage, justice, society |
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