Abstract

Michael Wladika:
Institutions
Definition, Importance, Examples
(FKTh 2023-3, p. 195–213)

Institutions shape, stabilize, guide. They synthesize, unite those human beings belonging to them as their matter and structure them. But they do this in such a way that matter and form correspond to each other, not being antagonists. What first needs to be understood is the notion of institution: Institutions are forms of actualizing man as self-transcendent, as doubly self-transcendent, so as actualized in relations to God and neighbour. Men are thus institutionalistic by nature. Which are the really important institutions? Church, family, state. And then there are of course those substandard-surrogates of these mentioned gigantic forms: international clubs, non-governmental clubs, economic associations. Via developing the notion of institution and also via thinking through especially the institution family also this becomes manifest: Emancipation out of the institutions is inhuman. Without discipline and mission men as well as communities decay; but these, the discipline and the mission, need to be there in an objective and binding way. It is, so to say, necessary to seriously will willing. But this is only possible being mediated institutionally.