Day 261 - What is meant by commutative justice? // Is it permissible to use tax dodges?
What is meant by commutative justice?
Commutative justice regulates exchanges between persons in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. It makes sure that property rights are safeguarded, debts repaid, and freely contracted obligations are fulfilled, that reparation is made for injustice or damage, and that stolen goods are returned.
Is it permissible to use tax dodges?
Inventiveness in dealing with complex systems of taxation is morally unobjectionable. It is immoral to evade taxes or to commit tax fraud, in other words, to falsify, fail to report, or conceal facts so as to prevent a correct assessment of taxes due. By paying taxes, citizens contribute, each according to his ability, so that the State can fulfill its duties. Therefore tax evasion is not a petty infraction. Taxes should be just and proportionate and should be levied by law. (YOUCAT questions 430-431)
Dig Deeper: CCC section (2411-2412) and other references here.
Part 3: Life in Christ (1691 - 2557)
Section 2: The Ten Commandments (2052 - 2557)
Chapter 2: You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself (2196 - 2557)
Article 7: The Seventh Commandment (2401 - 2463)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Love one another even as I have loved you."1 ⇡
II. RESPECT FOR PERSONS AND THEIR GOODS ⇡
Respect for the goods of others ⇡
Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted. Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible. One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community, and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs.
1.
186.
Ex 20:15; Deut 5:19; Mt 19:18.
In virtue of commutative justice, reparation for injustice committed requires the restitution of stolen goods to their owner: Jesus blesses Zacchaeus for his pledge: "If I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold."193 Those who, directly or indirectly, have taken possession of the goods of another, are obliged to make restitution of them, or to return the equivalent in kind or in money, if the goods have disappeared, as well as the profit or advantages their owner would have legitimately obtained from them. Likewise, all who in some manner have taken part in a theft or who have knowingly benefited from it — for example, those who ordered it, assisted in it, or received the stolen goods — are obliged to make restitution in proportion to their responsibility and to their share of what was stolen.
193.