Page 32 - HQ May June July 2020

sal of all of them, as justice and charity require.
“Every man indeed, as a reason-gifted being,
has, from nature, the fundamental right to make
use of the material goods of the earth, though it is
reserved to human will and the juridical forms of the
peoples to regulate, with more detail, the practical
realization of that right.
“Such an individual right cannot, by any means,
be suppressed, even by the exercise of other unques-
tionable and recognized rights over natural goods.”
Pope Pius XII cla-
rified that it was up to
nations, through their
laws and regulations,
to choose the methods
that would allow each
person to exercise

u technological innovation, fewer workers are required. their right to a share
of the resources of
Productivity increases while the need for workers is
reduced. There is a conflict between the effects of the earth. The Social
technological advancement, which decreases the Credit Dividend would
need for human labour, and the rule which says that achieve this objective.
purchasing power is only for the employed. No formula proposed
Yet, everyone has the right to live! Everyone is to date is as effective, not Pope Pius XII
even the generous social
entitled to the basic necessities of life. Earthly goods security schemes provided by most western nations.
were created by God for all men and not only for tho-
se with jobs. As the productive system can ensure the flow of
That is why Social Credit would do what the pre- goods, regardless of the input of workers, then too
should the financial system distribute purchasing
sent system does not do. Without eliminating the power by some means other than wages and salaries.
reward for work, it would disperse to every individual
a periodic income, called a Social Dividend — an in- The replacement of men by machines in produc-
come tied not to employment but to the individual. tion is a positive development. If society provided an
alternative source of purchasing power, such as the
Earthly Goods Were Created for All Men Social Dividend, material worries would end. More
This is the most direct and concrete means of time to attend to other duties and interests beyond
guaranteeing the exercise of every person’s funda- economics would enhance personal and social deve-
mental right to a share in the goods of the earth. Each lopment. Indeed, the current financial system leads to
person possesses this right — not as an employee in privation.
production, but simply as a human being. Technology Should Benefit Every Man
The notion of the universal destination of goods Is technology evil? Should we destroy technology
has been advanced by the Magisterium of the Church, for taking our jobs? No, it is good that mechanization
including in the conciliar document, Gaudium et Spes takes over routine and monotonous work and thus
(paragraph 69), and the social encyclicals of Paul VI, allows men and women to invest their leisure time in
John Paul II and Benedict XVI. In the Compendium of freely chosen activities. This is as long as an income
the Social Doctrine of the Church, published in 2004, of sorts is provided to replace the salary lost when
the universal destination of the goods of the earth is a the machine takes over workers’ jobs. Without ano-
component of the common good, which is one of the ther source of broadly available purchasing power,
four main principles of the Church’s social teaching. however, the machine is an enemy, not an ally.
(The other principles are the primacy of the person,
In the beginning stages of industrialization, in the
subsidiarity and solidarity.) 19th century, men were responsible for 20% of pro-
Pope Pius XII delivered a radio message on June duction, animals 50%, and the use of machines ac-
1, 1941, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of counted for 30% of production. By 1900, men were
Leo XIII’s encyclical, Rerum Novarum): responsible for only 15% of outputs, animals, 30%
“Material goods have been created by God to and machines 55%. By 1950, the figures had shifted
meet the needs of all men, and must be at the dispo- significantly. Machines were responsible for 94% of

32 MICHAEL May/June/July 2020 www.michaeljournal.org