EN
The aim of the article is to present a variety of contemporary understanding of the term: “Catholic social doctrine”. It is twofold difficult while beginning with Polish, where a particular notion of “Catholic social science” is an equivalent. Whether this should be a formal, theoretical endeavor or rather an expression of personal commitment, is a matter of different normative statements. Another diversifying factor is a variety of interpretations of the normative discourse, each of them revealing a particular political affiliation. One can distinguish a traditionalist, a centrist-modernizing, a left -wing, and a right-wing affiliation. The author suggests a kind of Political Science that could contribute best in explaining the complex phenomenon.