Catholic Social Teaching on Labor and Society http www miraclerosarymission org hab270 htm 1 What Church social encyclical was written to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum revolutionary change a Laborem Exercens On Human Labor 2 What is the focus of this encyclical a Homo faber man as worker 3 How does Pope John Paul consider work in his encyclical a The key to the social question 4 What does work mean a Work means any activity by man whether manual or intellectual whatever b its nature or circumstances It means any activity that can and must be recognized as in the midst of all the many activities of which man is capable 5 What distinguishes man from the rest of the animal world a Work 6 Why must man work a To earn his daily bread b To contribute to the continual advancement of science and technology c To elevate cultural and moral level of society within which he lives 7 What makes work a fundamental dimension of man s existence on earth a Man is the image of God partly through the mandate received from his creator to subdue to dominate the earth 8 What makes work a transitive activity a b c It is an activity beginning in the human subject and then is directed toward an external object It presupposes a specific dominion by man over the earth It confirms and develops simultaneously this dominion 9 What does the phrase the earth mean a It means that fragment of the visible universe that man inhabits 10 What does the expression subdue the earth mean a It means the all the resources that the earth contains and which through the conscious activity of man can be discovered and used for his ends 11 What is God s original ordering a The tools which man invents the technology he uses are to be employed in such a manner as conforms to the moral order with God s original plan for his creation 12 What is work in its objective sense Page 1 of 4 a In its objective sense work refers to what is accomplished by our work agriculture industry services research and the results of human ingenuity which are machines and technology 13 What does technology mean a Technology refers to the whole set of instruments which man uses in his b c work It facilitates his work perfects accelerates and augments it It leads to an increase in the quantity of things produced and in many cases improves their quality 14 What is work in its subjective sense a Work in its subjective sense refers to man as the subject 15 What is the purpose of work in its subjective sense a Man s work must serve to realize his humanity to fulfill the calling to be a person that is his by reason of his very humanity 16 What manifests throughout the process of work a Man manifests himself and confirms himself as the one who dominates 17 What is the ethical value of work a Human work has an ethical value of its own which clearly and directly remains linked to the fact that the one who carries it out is a person a conscious and free subject that is to say a subject that decides about himself 18 What is the basis in determining the value of human work It is the human person who does the work 19 Where can the sources of the dignity of work be sought a It is in the subjective sense of work a b Man is the primary basis of the value of work who is the subject 20 Which is correct to say work is for man or man for work a Work is for man 21 What is the purpose of any given work a It is man who is the purpose of work 22 Is there any other purpose of work dehumanizes man 23 What does bonum arduum mean a None Work either enriches man who is to subdue the earth or a It is a good not only in the sense of being useful or something to enjoy it is also something that corresponds to man s dignity that expresses this dignity and increases it b Work is a good thing for man a good thing for his humanity because through work man not only transforms nature adapting it to his own needs Page 2 of 4 but he also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed in a sense becomes more a human being 24 Which is the priority labor or capital a It is labor a It is labor 25 What is always the primary efficient cause in the process of production 26 What remains always as a mere instrument or instrumental cause in the process of production a It is the capital 27 What is the purpose of ownership a Ownership of natural resources i e private property in its original sense means to make them part of one s workbench where man the worker renders the earth fruitful for man s use 28 Why is labor inseparable from capital a When man works using all the means of production he also wishes the fruit of his work to be used by himself and others and he wishes to be able to take part in the very work process as a share in responsibility and creativity at the workbench to which he applies himself b Man s work concerns not only the economy but also and especially personal values 29 What makes work a source of rights a Man must work both because the Creator has commanded it and because of his own humanity which requires work in order to be maintained and developed 30 What are the three spheres of the subjective dimension of human work a The personal dimension of human work which regards man as the subject of work and its true maker and creator b The forming of family life where work is a condition for making it possible to found a family since the family requires the means of subsistence which man normally gains through work c The great society to which man belongs to the country of which he is a child and for the whole human family of which he is a member since he is the heir to the work of previous generations and at the same time a share in the building the future of those who will come after him in the succession of history 31 What constitute the moral obligation of work a All the three spheres 32 How does work unite people a Work has a social power the power to build community Page 3 of 4 b Both those who work and those who manage the means of production or who own them must in some way are united in this community c Their union remains a constructive factor of social order and solidarity and it is impossible to ignore it 33 How can one develop a spirituality of work a Work brings us closer to God the Creator and Redeemer b Through work …