Beyond Collectivism and Individualism: Why the Family Is the True Solution

Fr. Shenan Boquet joins us to unpack a cultural debate sparked by comments from New York City’s mayor about replacing “rugged individualism” with “collectivism.” Are these really the only two options?

In this episode, Fr. Shenan Boquet explores how Catholic social teaching offers a powerful alternative to both radical individualism and collectivist ideology. Father also discusses Bishop Barron’s response to Mamdani and explains why the Church rejects the false binary between the isolated individual and the all-powerful state.

Key questions addressed:

• What does the Catholic Church teach about socialism and individualism?
• Why is radical individualism harmful to families and society?
• How does collectivism differ from the Catholic understanding of the “common good”?
• Why does the family provide the roadmap for respecting human dignity AND upholding the common good?

The Church teaches that the human person is created in the image of God. Our dignity precedes the state, the economy, and every political system. At the same time, we flourish only in authentic communion — beginning in the family.

Fr. Boquet references key Catholic thinkers including St. John Paul II, Pope Leo XIII, Pope Benedict XVI, and Cardinal Robert Sarah, and recommends essential Church documents like Rerum Novarum, Centesimus Annus, and the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Rather than expanding state power or celebrating isolated self-fulfillment, the path forward is a renewal of family life grounded in solidarity, responsibility, and love.