Patrick Riordan, a Senior Fellow in Political Philosophy and Catholic Social Thought at Campion Hall, Oxford, discusses the intersection of Catholic values and liberal politics. He explores how faith can enrich the concept of the common good, stressing that individual liberty and communal flourishing can coexist. Riordan critiques oversimplifications of liberalism by some Catholic thinkers and emphasizes embracing diverse worldviews in political discourse. His insights challenge preconceived notions of the relationship between Catholicism and modern democratic values.
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insights INSIGHT
Three Lenses on Common Good
The common good can be seen through three lenses: Aristotle's practical philosophy, Vatican II's Catholic Social Thought, and John Rawls' political liberalism.
This framework separates the ultimate good from political goods achievable through cooperative political action.
insights INSIGHT
Augustine’s Political Spectrum
Augustine's two cities—the City of God and the earthly city—offer a spectrum reflecting different political realities.
Between ideal love-based community and self-interest-driven society lies the secular realm with varied government forms.
insights INSIGHT
Understanding Liberalism and Catholicism
Liberalism, properly understood, respects human dignity and limits state power.
Critiques often conflate anti-clericalism or market consumerism with all of liberalism, which misses its richer, foundational commitment to liberty.
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On the Containment of Illiberal and Anti-Democratic Views
Gabriele Badano
Alasia Nuti
Alasia Nuti and Gabriele Badano's "Politicizing Political Liberalism" offers a normative framework for liberal democratic self-defense. The book tackles the challenge of countering illiberal and anti-democratic views while upholding liberal values. It examines the roles of various actors, including citizens, political parties, and municipalities, in this process. The authors build upon John Rawls's concept of political liberalism, addressing the need to contain unreasonable views that reject the principles of freedom and equality for all. The book provides insightful solutions to complex issues within political liberalism, offering a nuanced approach to real-world political challenges.
Laudato Si'
On Care for Our Common Home
Paus Franciscus
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: Catholic Possibilities for the Common Good (Georgetown UP, 2023) 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 Church’s 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.
Sam Young is a recent PhD graduate from Cardiff University, specialising in the theological history of European social Catholic movements active during the crisis years of the 1920s and 1930s.
Georgetown University Press Podcast 
