Social History of Injustice

Before we study the Church's approach to fixing our broken world, we will examine how it came to be as broken as it is. We will examine these eight political, economic, and philosophical ideas and how they led to injustice in our world.

(Please note that most of these ideas are not in themselves injust, but rather gave rise to injustice as they were practiced and applied.)

1. Feudalism - the layered class structure of medieval society. (image: Crowning of Charlemagne)

2. Nationalism - an intense sense of patriotism and superiority

3. Rationalism - the idea that logic & reason are the sole source of authority in all human endeavors. (images: Rene Descartes & Baruch Spinoza)

4. Colonialism- when one nation extends its reign to other regions and subjects the indigineous (native) people to second class status. (image: Columbus "discovers" America.)

5. Industrialism - the shift from an agrarian (agricultural) economy to a factory-based economy

6. Captialism - the economy is controlled by investors of capital and the trends of consumer activity.

7. Communism - the economy is controlled by the workers, usually through a centralized government.

8. Fascism - a political system typically ruled by a militant dictator. The rights of the state are always superior to those of its citizens.

Please research your given topic - remember, all the books you want, but no internet.

Ad Jesum Per Mariam,

Mr. B.