Last week’s article highlighted that the human being is the foundation and purpose of political life.

Politics is not an end in itself but rather a means to achieving a society where everyone is able to exercise their human rights as well as fulfil their obligations. The table below gives a summary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. 

The role of politics in promoting human rights is critical, since a key characteristic of human rights is that they are inalienable. This means they are fundamental and cannot be surrendered. 

A person’s dignity is heavily dependent on how well governments promote and protect persons’ human rights. This therefore is government’s primary responsibility. Society as a whole will not flourish if individual human rights are not achieved. 

“Considering the human person as the foundation and purpose of the political community means in the first place working to recognise and respect human dignity through defending and promoting fundamental and inalienable human rights: ‘In our time the common good is chiefly guaranteed when personal rights and duties are maintained’.”

It is therefore critical for the politics of a given community to be organised so that the human dignity of every individual without exception and the society as a whole is achieved. This keeps the human person as the focus of the political organisation.

In order to achieve this, the society must be organised in a way that provides the environment for the promotion of human rights and the eventual common good.

A key ingredient in achieving this is positive law, which refers to man-made laws established by a government which has been codified into a written form. Laws represent a system of social rules usually enforced through a set of structured institutions.

 It affects everyday life and society in a variety of ways including business and property arrangements, crime, environment, ability to practice one’s religion. Laws often have an important role in promoting fairness, equality and justice for all in the society.

The Compendium states the following: “The rights and duties of the person contain a concise summary of the principal moral and juridical requirements that must preside over the construction of the political community.

These requirements constitute an objective norm on which positive law is based and which cannot be ignored by the political community, because both in existential being and in final purpose the human person precedes the political community. Positive law must guarantee that fundamental human needs are met.”

“The political community pursues the common good when it seeks to create a human environment that offers citizens the possibility of truly exercising their human rights and of fulfilling completely their corresponding duties.

‘Experience has taught us that, unless these authorities take suitable action with regard to economic, political and cultural matters, inequalities between citizens tend to become more and more widespread, especially in the modern world, and as a result human rights are rendered totally ineffective and the fulfilment of duties is compromised’.”

“The full attainment of the common good requires that the political community develop a two-fold and complementary action that defends and promotes human rights.

‘It should not happen that certain individuals or social groups derive special advantage from the fact that their rights have received preferential protection.

Nor should it happen that governments in seeking to protect these rights, become obstacles to their full expression and free use’.”

As Catholics it is imperative that we understand what human rights are, not only for the sake of understanding them, but to enable us to assess our politicians’ policies and principles to see that the dignity of the human person’s is centre stage and their primary focus.

Social life based on civil friendship will be the focus of next week’s article. 

Persons interested in purchasing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church may contact the Justice Desk, Archbishop’s House at 622-6680. Also on sale at the Justice Desk is Responses to 101 Questions on Catholic Social Teaching.

Summary of UN Declaration of Human Rights