Faced with such diverse forms of society as the ant-hill, the family, the trade union, the United Nations Organization, writes Dr Folliet in his introduction, 'What can we find that is common to each and proper to all?' In his first chapter Dr Folliet examines the nature of human society and its uniqueness as a social phenomenon together with its different aspects and subdivisions, function, status, rank, its forms and institutions and the tensions produced in man by the complex social structures of today. Chapter II is concerned with the relationship between social obligations and the individual conscience. The final chapter relates these to the specifically Christian concepts of the divine society, the worshipping community, the mystics body of Christ and that sense of progress towards the 'City of God' which are the social consequences of the Redemption and which lead to Dr Folliet’s conclusion that 'society is only fully human when man can transcend it'.