The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

WOF 450: Freedom & Political Order w/ Patrick Deneen—Part II

49 snips
Aug 12, 2024
Patrick Deneen, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, dives deep into the relationship between freedom, truth, and political order. He examines how modern liberalism's individualism impacts communal values and mental well-being. The conversation critiques contemporary notions of liberty, particularly among youth valuing safety over individual expression. Deneen also reflects on historical challenges that liberalism poses to Catholic values, emphasizing local stewardship and the importance of community connections in fostering a sense of fulfillment.
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INSIGHT

Subjective Value Breeds Social Despair

  • Radical subjectivization of value produces despair and rising depression among young people.
  • Without shared objective goods, society loses common ground for meaningful cooperation.
INSIGHT

Happiness Requires Ordered Freedom

  • Contemporary liberal freedom often becomes endless pursuit of desires that never yield happiness.
  • Aristotle and Aquinas see happiness as achievable through virtue and freedom ordered to the good.
ADVICE

Reevaluate 'Harm' As The Sole Limit

  • Question the 'no harm, no restriction' rule as the sole limiter of liberty and examine what counts as harm.
  • Recognize that defining harm narrowly to physical injury disables moral and social regulation.
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