Society And its Purpose
Book 3 - Determining the End of Civil Societies
CHAPTER 19
The political criterion drawn from the final end of civil societies concords with the teaching of Christianity
494. It is worthwhile noticing here how the political criterion drawn from the final end of society (the criterion we have explained above)(232) harmonises so well with the sublime teaching of Christianity whose sole aim, lacking in ancient societies, was to provide mankind with this truly final end as the necessary compass in all its difficult navigation. Ancient societies suffered shipwreck because they journeyed aimlessly through an immensely dangerous ocean without knowing where to make landfall. They had no certain, secure port. This port, discovered and revealed to mankind by the Christian religion, is most real, absolute, holy and infinite good. Here lies the full contentment to which everyone tends by nature. Other things, according to Christian truth, are only means to the great end.
If we apply this teaching to civil society, we see that it is only the selfsame political criterion which we used to establish that `the proximate end of society be ordered to its remote, final end, that is, to true human contentment, and that consequently the proximate end be valued and promoted to the extent that it serves the final end, which alone of its nature is desirable for human beings.’
Notes
(232) Chapter 7.