Freedom of Association: Vital for Human Flourishing and a Free Society

Guest Commentary by Pastor Matthew Book

I have enjoyed belonging to many different groups of people: examples include my Cub Scout den, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Salesian Lay Missionaries, and the Catholic priest association called the Companions of Christ. All of these, in one way or another, have enriched my life and have been ways for me to contribute to other people’s flourishing and the good of society.

These groups are neither families, the basic structure of human society, nor entities of the state. They exist in between as voluntary organizations in which humans undertake joint endeavors that individuals could not accomplish on their own. In Catholic Social Teaching (CST) they are broadly known as intermediate communities or intermediate groups.

The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church (vatican.va)) produced for Pope John Paul II in 2005 by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, is a wonderful and wide-ranging document that summarizes much of CST. It gives the context for these intermediate groups and explains their importance.

Here is the ‘go-to’ paragraph about these groups:

151. The social nature of human beings is not uniform but is expressed in many different ways. In fact, the common good depends on a healthy social pluralism. The different components of society are called to build a unified and harmonious whole, within which it is possible for each element to preserve and develop its own characteristics and autonomy. Some components — such as the family, the civil community and the religious community — respond more immediately to the intimate nature of man, while others come about more on a voluntary basis. “To promote the participation of the greatest number in the life of a society, the creation of voluntary associations and institutions must be encouraged ‘on both national and international levels, which relate to economic and social goals, to cultural and recreational activities, to sport, to various professions, and to political affairs’. This ‘socialization’ also expresses the natural tendency for the sake of attaining objectives that exceed individual capacities. It develops the qualities of the person, especially the sense of initiative and responsibility, and helps guarantee his rights” (Catechism #1882)

While the freedom of association has been recognized in legal precedent as protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the positive value of these associations is beautifully described in the above paragraph. What are some of the key points?

Social pluralism, i.e., a variety of associations and intermediate groups, supports the overall common good. You could say that they make for a healthy social ecosystem.
Voluntary intermediate groups promote a stronger participation in the life of society. They are a vehicle for people to be engaged and involved in the affairs of the community, whether social, cultural, recreational, professional, or political.
More can be accomplished when people form a group. They can attain objectives that they would not be able to achieve on their own.
People personally develop and grow in initiative and responsibility when they are engaged in a voluntary association.
Intermediate groups help guarantee people’s rights.

These kinds of voluntary organizations, intermediate groups, are very important. Yet today it seems that people belong to them less and less. People are much more isolated, and they are therefore vulnerable, feel powerless, and are more easily manipulated.

In the first half of the 20^th century, CST saw authoritarian states, whether communist or fascist, as the main threat to a healthy civil society, and the intermediate groups that support it. These authoritarian forces would collapse society into simply the individual and the all-powerful state.

Today, there are other forms of authoritarianism: political, commercial, and cultural, that threaten to wipe out social pluralism and put the exercise of people’s rights at risk. This is only possible, however, if people continue to be apathetic and lulled to endless distraction.

We need to join together, wake up together, and invest in the associations and intermediate groups that create space for real human flourishing and the protection of our rights and values in the larger society. We cannot wait for someone else to do it.

Father Matthew Book is Pastor at Light of the World Catholic Church in Littleton, Colorado.

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