La familia como unidad de equilibrio humano y social

Abstract

The family is the medium most suitable for the formation of the complete and balanced human person, or, as one says, the well-finished personality. This is due to the fact that the family is like a second foetal surrounding for the baby and the child, in which they can be protected in the best way from the aggressions of the world outside during the process of the formation of the personality. At the same time the family is the best agent to ensure a balanced society; firstly, because it is the origin of all the population, producing as it does the new generations in the best possible conditions; secondly, because it constitutes the primordial living community insofar as it is the centre of the elementary stages of economic and cultural life; thirdly, because it is the first school of good habits, as it is the nucleus of the social exercise of the moral and religious virtues; and finally, because it is the first social unit of political power, as the basic cell from which grow all social and political structures of an organic nature. From both of the above considerations it becomes obvious that it is necessary to revitalize, fortify and strengthen the family. To this end the interiorally equilibrated family ought to be given preference. The ideal family is that formed by three generations that determine their necessities in co-operation and dialogue according to rules of conduct proven and handed down by family traditions. It is also necessary to eliminate the main causes of internal family problems: abandonment of the educational role, low cultural level of the parents, exaggerated individuality, low economic leve!. and lack of group-promotion and political involvement of the parents. Both processes, stimulation and prevention, ought to be co-ordinated in the framework of a global family policy that includes the cultural, economic, political and group·forming aspects.