Christianity and Democracy, the Rights of Man and Natural LawFew political philosophers have laid such stress upon the organic and dynamic characters of human rights, rooted as they are in natural law, as did the great 20th century philosopher, Jacques Maritain. Few Christian scholars have placed such emphasis upon the influence of evangelical inspiration, or of the Gospel message, upon the temporal order as has Maritain.As this important work reveals, the philosophy of Jacques Maritain on natural law and human rights is complemented by and can only be properly understood in the light of his teaching on Christianity and democracy and their relationship. Maritain takes pains to point out that Christianity cannot be made subservient to any political form or regime, that democracy is linked to Christianity and not the other way around, and that every just regime, such as the classic forms of monarchy, aristocracy and republic, is compatible with Christianity and in it a person is able to achieve some measure of fulfillment even in the temporal order.At the same time he argues his distinctive thesis that personalist or organic democracy provides a fuller measure of freedom and fulfillment and that it emerges or begins to take shape under the inspiration of the Gospel. Even the modern democracies we do in fact have, with all their weaknesses, represent an historic gain for the person and they spring, he urges, from the very Gospel they so wantonly repudiate! |
Contents
Preface | 3 |
The End of an Age | 9 |
Three Remarks | 19 |
Evangelical Inspiration and the Secular | 25 |
The True Essence of Democracy | 35 |
The New Leadership | 47 |
An Heroic Humanism | 56 |
A Society of Human Persons | 65 |
The Rights of the Person | 97 |
Appendix | 139 |
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Christianity and Democracy: The Rights of Man and The Natural Law Jacques Maritain Limited preview - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
absolute Aristotle aspirations authority autonomy become brotherly called Catholic century Chris Christian Democracy Christian philosophy Christianity and Democracy Church city of human civic person civilization common task Communists conception conquest of freedom consciousness constitution demands democ Democracy and Rights democratic dignity divine economic emancipation equality essential Étienne Gilson evangelical evil existence fact faith Fascism forces French friendship fundamental Gospel heroic hope human history human person human rights ical idea ideal individual inspiration Jacques Maritain justice knows labor Léon Bloy liberation liberty losophy man’s means modern moral movement natural law Nazism one’s organization Pagan Empire philoso political emancipation political philosophy political society Pope Pius XI positive law principle progress realization reason recognize regard regime religion religious secular conscience sense servitude social soul spiritual temporal things tion totalitarian transcends true city truly truth unwritten law values virtue whole