Catholic Social Teaching (CST)

Our Unshakable Anchor for Putting People First

At TNG Worker Co-op, our moral foundation is built on Catholic Social Teaching (CST). While it may sound academic, the core philosophy is simple: human dignity must always precede systems, technology, and profit.

Why Standard “Business Ethics” Aren’t Enough

In today’s secular society, relying on “common sense” or “standard business ethics” is dangerous. In the corporate world—especially in the fast-paced IT sector—these standards inevitably drift. Pushed by the demand for endless growth and shareholder profit, “doing the right thing” quickly warps into “doing whatever is legally permissible to make money.”

That is why we cannot rely on shifting societal trends. We need a clear, objective, and unwavering anchor that doesn’t bend to the pressures of the market. For us, that anchor is CST.

The Massive Real-World Impact of CST

This isn’t just theoretical philosophy. CST is a highly practical, powerful framework that actively shapes modern European laws and massive economic systems:

The Backbone of the EU: The European Union’s vision of balancing a competitive economy with robust social welfare is a direct reflection of CST.
Subsidiarity as Law: The CST principle of “Subsidiarity” isn’t just an idea; it is literally written into European law (Article 5 of the EU Treaty) as the guiding rule for how power is distributed.
Europe’s Largest Political Foundation: It is the core philosophy of the Christian Democrats (the EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament.
A Proven Cooperative Model: CST is the driving force behind massive, successful cooperative networks worldwide (like Italy’s cooperative banking sector), proving that businesses can thrive by building a “society of work, not of capital.”

Alignment with Contemporary Policy Research

Our cooperative approach aligns with modern economic policy research. For example, a 2021 study by Professor Takashi Iida (University of Tokyo), published by the Cabinet Office’s Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), examines the boundaries between self-help, mutual help, public welfare, and the market. The paper highlights the importance of recovering the subsidiarity principle—historically rooted in Catholic Social Teaching—arguing that markets can be designed to facilitate mutual help rather than just individual self-help.

How CST Governs What We Do

CST is not just a set of ethical recommendations; it is a rigorous framework of principles that directly shapes our operational structures, business model, and engineering decisions:

Priority of Labor over Capital: In line with historical social encyclicals like Laborem exercens, we assert that human labor is fundamentally prior to capital. Capital is merely an instrument of production; the human person is the primary subject of work. In our cooperative, this means we reject the traditional shareholder-first model. Every worker has equal ownership and an equal voice, ensuring that our business serves human flourishing rather than capital accumulation.
Authentic Subsidiarity in Action: We apply the principle of subsidiarity by decentralizing authority. Decisions regarding project execution, working conditions, and resource allocation are made by the workers themselves in democratic assemblies. Rather than being dictated by a top-down hierarchy, power remains with the people doing the work.
Solidarity and Social Integration: We carry out our business not as an isolated profit-seeking entity, but in deep solidarity with the broader community. This governs our transparent accounting, fair pricing, and our commitment to building open-source, ethical software that protects user privacy and supports public welfare.
The Personalist Principle (Person-First Tech): Under CST, the human person can never be treated as a mere commodity or a resource to be optimized. This directly governs our approach to technology: we build software that respects human cognitive limits, avoids addictive feedback loops, and acts as a tool that extends human capability rather than replacing or alienating the worker.

How TNG Applies CST in the Digital World

We bring this historic, proven philosophy to life every day in the modern tech industry:

Working Democratically (Subsidiarity): As worker-owners, we democratically manage our IT projects, our working conditions, and how our profits are shared.
People-Friendly Tech (Dignity & Solidarity): We maintain fair, exploitation-free labor environments and build ethical digital tools that protect and empower vulnerable users.
Improving Society (The Common Good): In an IT industry that often loses its moral compass, we provide tools that actively advance justice and fairness, aligning with the broader EU vision.