Folia Theologica 11. (2000)
Eugene Csocsan de Váralja: The Just Income Distribution
THE JUST INCOME DISTRIBUTION 113 IInd chapter. The system of law 1. On the system of law we mean the sum of legal regulations in force on a given territory. The system of law is of fundamental importance as far as the income distribution is concerned, as the income distribution is in fact conveyance of property, and the property is by definition a right and as such it is part of the legal system. In any case the income distribution distributes the national income between persons, and the relationships between persons is regulated by justice, and according to Saint Thomas Aquinas the object of justice is the law.6 The income distribution changes by the transformations as well as by the alterations and even modifications of the system of law in force. In slavery the slave was only res, quo quis uti et abuti potest and without being a legal person the slave could not have an income properly speaking. In the feudalism the vassal received the fief from the ruler and similarly gave the land to the serfs for retributions in kind without the use of money. In the capitalistic system the labour is not bound anymore to his landlord and free to move on the market in which contractus ius fecit inter partes. The employees however often have to accept the conditions given by the employers and for example the landowners might easily obtain half of the agricultural products, while the serfs (in Hungary) used to retain 80 % of the proceeds. As the power of the trade unions develops the labour force might reach better conditions by collective bargaining. It should be noticed however, that there is no necessary sequence in the succession of the just mentioned systems of law, for example the slavery returned after the feudalism on English and French territories after the colonisation of America. The effect of the system of law on the income distribution is clearly demonstrated by the redistribution of income through taxation, through social security system, just as through inflation, which depends on the monetary authorities regulated by low. * * * 2. The factors influencing the systems of law. On the development of the systems of law the evolvements of various theories have decisive influence. After the triumph of the Christianity Justinian found the slavery contrary to the natural law.7 Medieval moral theology considered the in- 5 5 IIa IF'6, qu. 57, art 1 6
