Henry Pesch’s Conception of social Solidarism

Abstract

Henry Pesch is acknowledged as a creator of Catholic social doctrine. It is he who first completely embraced the social and economic philosophy, in a system named by him the social solidarism. Although he refers to an idea of social solidarity, very vividly developed in 19th century, but also criticises its positivistic and utilitaristic principles. He also sharply criticised the principles of liberal economy and the capitalistic system based on them, where man became an instrument and a means of exploitation and labor a merchandise, where the division occurred between work and capital followed by the social division on two antagonistic classes.

Pesch took advantage of achievements of Catholic social schools, based himself on the thomistic philosophy, on encyclicals of Leo XIII and achievements of economic schools.

Although he saw a possibility of building up the solidarism based on so-called pure humanism, in fact derived it from theological and philosophical universalism. Starting point of his consideration is the thesis: „Man, according to God’s will, is the master of the world within the society” . Here is designed man’s goal, pointed at his dignity and his supremacy over the surrounding world, and his social nature. At foundations of the socio-economic life lies distribution and unity of work. This gives a reason for describing man as a social being. Pesch refers to the Aristotle’s and Thomas’ conceptions of the social nature of man, but gives to it more distinctly economic interpretation, approaching him in a sense to Marx’ formulations. The interdependence between human person and society Pesch calls the solidarity principle. In grasping the relation between man and society he assigns to man an autonomy and to the society a real existence. In formation society area Pesch assigns a great role to authority. It is authority constitutes the social being. This granting the role in socialbeing creation to authority and not to its goal is a consequence of instrumental understanding of common good. ,

In this respect Pesch did not overcome the individualistic conception, which recognizes as a factor unifying citizens in a social unit not the common-good-goal, but rather authority. While Pesch gave an outline of so-called social-work-system conception, he did not elaborate more precisely in its frame the rules concerned with co-administration of enterprises nor the profitsharing problem.

The Pesch’s notions concerning the auxiliary character of each society, social justice and classprofession order had been reflected in Pius XII’s encyclical Quadragesimo anno. His- social-solidarism conception have developed many authors, e.g.G. Grundlach or O.v. Nell-Breuning. Alongside with the social solidarism in the Catholic social doctrine there appeared the social personalism, political personalism and a natural law school. The mentioned tendencies do not exclude each other but are complementary. The principles elaborated by Pesch are, by Church Magistery, applied to the universal society. „The duty of solidarity put down on each individual pertains also to nations” — states the pope Paul VI in his encyclical Populorum progressio.