Society And its Purpose

Book 2 - The End of Society

INTRODUCTION

169. In Book 1, I showed the difference between society and material aggregation. The union of many material beings in the same place is not sufficient to constitute a society; if it were, a heap of stones would be a society.

170. Nor is union between merely feeling beings sufficient. These can be united not only in the same place, but also by sharing pleasant and painful sensations, and by instincts which move them to seek pleasure and avoid pain. This, however, is simply gregarious living. The instincts which impel animals to live together are essentially individual; animal union lacks a common, willed end, and although a collective good, constituted by the sum of the individual goods, may result from it, the individual animal neither intends nor proposes this collective good for itself. The inclinations of each are directed by the wisdom of nature for the good of all.

171. Finally, not even a group of human beings, no matter how big, can be called `society’. Society requires intellectual and moral bonds. Its members must know and be conscious of a common end; they must desire this end and freely choose the means to achieve it. Consequently, the social good to which the members tend is not simply a collection of individual goods but a truly common good, unique in its concept and shared in by each individual. Intelligence, therefore, is necessary for society which, as we saw, also presupposes some right, some justice and certain moral virtues. In brief, society is, as Cicero said, `an association formed by an agreement in right and by mutual helpfulness.’(52)

172. Hence, the teaching given in the previous book about the nature of society spontaneously provides the teaching about the end of society. I will now present that teaching as clearly as I can.

Notes

(52) `The State is the reality of a nation. But not every association of a multitude is a nation, only the association formed by consent of right and by mutual helpfulness' (De Rep., bk. 3).