Persons and Liberal Democracy: The Ethical and Political Thought of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II

by Edward Barrett

Overview

Fundamentally, Persons and Liberal Democracy is an explication and defense of classical liberalism. It explains the relatively recent shift in the Church's political theory and, in the process, defends what could be deemed a non-statist form of welfare liberalism. After an introduction, the first chapter contextualizes modern Catholic social thought, explaining how the shift to a nuanced endorsement of liberal economic and political thought was initiated by the pragmatic economic and cultural analyses of nineteenth-century social and liberal Catholics. The next two chapters investigate one fruit of the subsequent re-examination of the relationship of Catholicism to modernity: John Paul's qualified acceptance of liberalism for non-circumstantial, ethical reasons appropriated from within the tradition. While the second chapter details the phenomenological, Thomistic, and theological bases of his ethical premises, the third chapter examines the relationship of these premises to the various aspects of his political theory, particularly his theories of human rights and the complementary roles of the state and civil society in securing these rights. Chapters four and five initiate a dialogue between this analysis of John Paul's social thought and influential political theorists. In the fourth chapter, the dialogue is between John Paul and four Catholic interlocutors: theoconservatives, liberation theologians, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and British distributists. The fifth chapter brings John Paul and Catholic social thought into conversation with communitarian critics of liberalism and evaluates the relationship of recent thought on civil society and federalism to the principle of subsidiarity. Finally, the conclusion highlights his most significant accomplishments and suggests areas for further development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780739121146
Publisher:	Lexington Books
Publication date:	07/17/2010
Pages:	158
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Edward Barrett is director of research and professor of ethics at the Stockdale Center, United States Naval Academy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Introduction—Catholic Social Thought and Contemporary Political Theory Chapter 3 Chapter 1—The Roots of Modern Catholic Social Thought: Social and Liberal Catholicism Chapter 4 Chapter 2—Christian Personalism: The Ethical and Anthropological Thought of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II Chapter 5 Chapter 3—Anthropology, Ethics, and Recent Catholic Social Theory: The Liberalism of John Paul II Chapter 6 Chapter 4—John Paul II in Conversation with Catholic Social/Political Theorists Chapter 7 Chapter 5—John Paul II in Conversation with Secular Social/Political Theorists Chapter 8 Conclusion: Future Directions for Catholic Social Thought and Liberal Democratic Theory Chapter 9 Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

Barrett is the director of research at the US Naval Academy's Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. His book is a well-written description of the political thought of the late Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla). It seeks to show that John Paul adopted liberal thinking in response to his experiences under the totalitarian regimes of the Nazis and communists. Barrett writes with a firm command of Western political theory to reveal and explain to the reader John Paul's political thought, giving special attention to its liberal elements. He takes the reader from the origins of Roman Catholic social thought at the time of Constantine to the concern for sociopolitical rights John Paul advocated at his death. Barrett shows how John Paul used elements of both classical and welfare liberalism in a critical manner that was faithful to both Thomism and Roman Catholic social teachings. John Paul's goal was to advance the humanist concerns at the heart of the Gospel. Roman Catholics; students political philosophy, religion, or theology; and others will find this readable work of significant value. Summing Up: Recommended.

Choice

Edward Barrett has synthesized the anthropological theses that underlay the social teaching of the late Pope John Paul II, and he has placed them in conversation with those who will shape social polity in the future. This is an insightful and much needed work.

Francis Cardinal George

By offering an overview of a subject that has been relatively neglected by students of John Paul II—namely, his political theory—Persons and Liberal Democracy makes a valuable contribution to the literature on one of the seminal figures of modern Catholic thought. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Catholic social theory.

Kenneth Grasso

This is a first-class work of scholarship that brings out the subtlety and coherence of John Paul’s ethical and political thought, carefully distinguishes its philosophical and theological roots, and puts it into dialogue with contemporary secular liberal and communitarian political thinkers

Nathan Tarcov

Barrett is the director of research at the US Naval Academy's Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership. His book is a well-written description of the political thought of the late Pope John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla). It seeks to show that John Paul adopted liberal thinking in response to his experiences under the totalitarian regimes of the Nazis and communists. Barrett writes with a firm command of Western political theory to reveal and explain to the reader John Paul's political thought, giving special attention to its liberal elements. He takes the reader from the origins of Roman Catholic social thought at the time of Constantine to the concern for sociopolitical rights John Paul advocated at his death. Barrett shows how John Paul used elements of both classical and welfare liberalism in a critical manner that was faithful to both Thomism and Roman Catholic social teachings. John Paul's goal was to advance the humanist concerns at the heart of the Gospel. Roman Catholics; students political philosophy, religion, or theology; and others will find this readable work of significant value. Summing Up: Recommended.

CHOICE

Edward Barrett has synthesized the anthropological theses that underlay the social teaching of the late Pope John Paul II, and he has placed them in conversation with those who will shape social polity in the future. This is an insightful and much needed work.

Francis Cardinal George O.M.I.

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