Homeland and the Common Good: Conscientious Objection and Civil Disobedience

Abstract

In light of the Thomistic doctrine with respect to justice in terms of both personal and social well-being, the validity of separating conscientious objection from civil disobedience, as independent acts, is proposed, analyzed and discussed. It is suggested they be linked inextricably, seeing as there also exists in human nature an inseparable unity between the personal being and the social being. The conclusion is that private personal responsibility and public-social responsibility must be linked in the service of the common good inherited from our forefathers. This legacy is what those of the River Plate region regard as a “rich heritage,” one with a dignity that cannot be bought or sold, much less “at the price of necessity,” despite the pressures currently being brought to bear on human dignity. Respect for it is the richest heritage of our American homeland.