On the Dignity of Society

In this substantial collection of essays, Francis Russell Hittinger demonstrates that Catholic social teaching is not merely a defense of the dignity of the human person, but more fundamentally an articulation of the dignity of society itself. Hittinger shows that the dignity of the person cannot be properly understood apart from the dignity of the social forms in which human beings seek their fulfillment, namely the family, the political community, and the Church.

These essays represent the fruit of Hittinger’s mature reflection on Catholic social doctrine over many years. Throughout the volume, he argues that human persons, understood as naturally familial, political, and ecclesial beings, perfect themselves only in communion with others. Any adequate account of human dignity must therefore take seriously the moral and metaphysical standing of social institutions and forms of life.

Hittinger’s historically significant body of work in Catholic moral and social philosophy is firmly grounded in natural law theory and Thomistic philosophy, while also being deeply informed by the thought of St. Augustine. This Augustinian dimension lends his work a keen sensitivity to historical circumstances and to the concrete arenas in which moral and theological disputes arise. As a result, these essays integrate careful historical study of the development of Catholic social teaching with systematic exposition of its internal coherence, while consistently affirming the indispensable role of philosophy and natural law within that tradition.

The volume is divided into three parts. The first consists of six essays on Catholic social teaching itself. The second includes six essays devoted to natural law and its role within social doctrine. The third and final section contains two essays addressing the first principles underlying the Church’s teaching on social questions.

Taken together, these essays offer a rigorous, philosophically serious, and theologically rich account of Catholic social teaching. This collection is poised to become a standard reference in the field and an essential resource for scholars, students, and serious readers seeking a deeper understanding of the Church’s social doctrine.