Democracy and Natural Law
by Michael Hall

"Democracy" is difficult to define, and its foundations are difficult to articulate. The word is used in many and diverse ways, especially by special-interest groups including political parties, the media, and governments. At its root, democracy means "rule by the people.” Such is the foundation for all democratic thought, namely, that the ruled should participate in some capacity in their ruling. But the extent of that capacity, and the means by which that capacity is exercised, whether by the people themselves or by their representatives, are hardly standard or standardized.

In fact, the range of meaning ascribed to the word democracy is so wide as to make it almost meaningless.Yet the root of the word expresses well its foundational principle: rule by the people. A sincere desire for the people to have a voice in their government reflects knowledge of and respect for the fundamental dignity of the human person because he is a creature of God, who gives him divine dignity.

Although such an understanding may be a crude one, as in the ancient Greek or Enlightenment understanding of it, unaided human reason can come to know God, the created order, and the natural law. Such knowledge ought to lead to a profound respect for human persons and their dignity.

Over 40 years ago, one of the principle products of the second Vatican Council, called by its Latin title of "Gaudium et spes," spoke of "a keener awareness of human dignity" as the catalyst "to establish a politico-juridical order in which the rights of the human person in public life will be better protected.” That catalyst has been accelerated by revelation, wherein we see the sacrifice of Christ -- "greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends"-- as the prism through which we see every human being: for whom the Son suffered and died, to whom eternal salvation is offered. Thus, "the Church recognizes that while democracy is the best expression of the direct participation of citizens in political choices, it succeeds only to the extent that it is based on a correct understanding of the human person."

The foundation of democratic thought -- that the ruled should participate in some capacity in their ruling -- assumes a weighty character when the ramifications of revelation are taken into consideration. This character compels a recognition of the natural law described by St. Paul as "written" on human hearts and defined by St. Thomas Aquinas as "nothing else than the rational creature's participation of the eternal law.”

Without the recognition of the primacy of natural law, democracies are condemned to little more than tyranny of the majority, not to mention a plethora of social and moral evils. Great care must be taken, as St. Augustine so wonderfully reminds us, to avoid mistaking the kingdom of men for the kingdom of God.

Father Hall made these remarks when speaking to a group of theologians, during a meeting organized by The Congregation for Clergy. Sent to us by Timothy Campaigne at http://justumefficare.blogspot.com/.