A deeply considered examination of the common good reconciling Catholic Social Thought with secular politics and philosophy
The Second Vatican Council invites dialogue about the common good as the set of economic, political, legal, and cultural conditions for human flourishing, whether as individuals or as communities. However, some contemporary Catholic authors jeopardize this dialogue by polarizing liberalism and the common good, interpreting the commitment to individual liberty as incompatible with commitment to the common good.
Human Dignity and Liberal Politics clarifies the meaning of the common good through the three lenses of Aristotelian practical philosophy, twentieth-century Catholic Social Thought, and political liberalism. It makes the case that embracing the common good does not entail a rejection of liberalism, but that a commitment to liberal politics is compatible with faithful adherence to the Catholic tradition. The book argues that liberal political philosophy is not only compatible with Catholic Social Teaching but may also be the most appropriate framework for communicating the richness of the Churchs tradition today. Furthermore, accepting political liberalism can facilitate collaboration in political life between those who hold different worldviews and foster an enriched discussion of democracy, human rights, and religious liberty.
Students and scholars of Christian ethics and political philosophy will benefit from this response to the challenges of dialogue about the common good in the context of the resurgence of this topic.
Recenzijos
Defining the common good is critical but it is not simple, and much of the value of this ambitious book is Riordan's wrestling with that concept....Chapter notes, an index, and a good bibliography conclude this thoughtful book which is recommended to all academic libraries. * Catholic Library World * Riordan makes a bold and valuable contribution to Catholic thought on the common good tradition by demonstrating its compatibility with liberalism. His work helpfully illustrates Catholic social thought as a learning process, continually readjusting its insights by interaction with social conditions. * Catholic Books Review * His understanding of the common good includes a number of social and political points of view, depending upon the specific cultures of various democratic societies in various places in the world. It is compatible with Catholic social teaching as embodied in the Second Vatican Council and papal teachings...which he aptly summarizes. * Journal of Ecumenical Studies *
Daugiau informacijos
"Dr. Riordan provides an innovative and exciting theory of the common good, an in-depth triangulation between liberal political philosophy, republican theory, and Catholic social thought. A must read for anybody working in social philosophy; it has greatly enriched my own work."James G. Murphy, professor of philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations
IntroductionChapter One: Three Lenses to View Common GoodsChapter Two: Aristotle ReconstructedChapter Three: Does Political Augustinianism Help?Chapter Four: Aquinas and Analogy: The Limits of Bounded RationalityChapter Five: Is Liberalism the Enemy?
Chapter Six: The Role of Conflict in a Political Account of Common GoodsChapter Seven: Utopia and ApocalypseChapter Eight: Is Talk of the Common Good Inevitably Paternalistic?Chapter Nine: Fraught Common Goods: Integral Ecology, Humane EconomyChapter Ten: Culture as Common Good Epilogue
BibliographyIndexAbout the Author
Patrick Riordan, SJ, a member of the Irish Jesuit province, is senior fellow for political philosophy and Catholic Social Thought in Campion Hall of the University of Oxford.
