A Unit 4: Contents

Working Life and
the ‘Priority of Labour over Capital’

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4.1            EXPERIENCE OF WORK

4.1.1            Introduction: following the ‘pastoral spiral’ in this unit

4.1.2            Your work – past, present, future

4.1.3            Different ‘sectors’ of work

4.1.4            Issues in working life

4.1.5            What this unit is about and not about

4.2            RERUM NOVARUM

4.2.1            Revisiting the historical context of Rerum Novarum

4.2.2            Rerum Novarum – introduction

4.2.3            RN, part 1: A natural right to private property (##4-15)

4.2.4            RN, part 2: The role of the Church in teaching and charity (##16-31)

4.2.5            RN, part 2, continued

4.2.6            RN part 3: The role of government in ensuring just working conditions (##32-47)

4.2.7            RN, part 4: Workers have a right to form associations/unions (##48-61)

4.2.8            Rerum Novarum: summing up

4.3            LABOREM EXERCENS

4.3.1            From Rerum Novarum to Laborem Exercens

4.3.2            Laborem Exercens: preface and introduction (##1-3)

4.3.3            Work as for the human person (##4-7)

4.3.4            Worker solidarity (#8)

4.3.5            Work, dignity and society (##9-10)

4.3.6            The priority of labour over capital (##11-12)

4.3.7            Questions for discussion half way through unit

4.3.8            The critique of ‘economism’ and ‘materialism’ (##13-15)

4.3.9            ‘Rights of Workers’ (##16-23)

4.3.10          ‘Elements for a Spirituality of Work’ (##24-27)

4.4            CST ON WORK: ASSESSMENT AND ACTION

4.4.1            Summary and review of Laborem Exercens

4.4.2            General assessment of CST on working life

4.4.3            Christian action for workers’ rights

4.4.4            Review and discussion of Unit 4

4.5            COMMENTS ON UNIT 4

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