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Title: Common Truths: New Perspectives on Natural Law (Goodrich Lecture Series) by Edward B. McLean, Ralph McInerny, J. Rufus Fears, Russell Hittinger, Charles E. Rice, Ian T. McLean, Janet E. Smith, Edward J. Murphy, Alasdair MacIntyre, Robert P. George ISBN: 1-882926-35-8 Publisher: Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) Pub. Date: February, 2000 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (2 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: A Stimulating Primer
Comment: What struck me is that this book analyzes natural law within a legal context: many of the contributing authors are attorneys as well as philosopher. This is particularly helpful to our nation today, as I think more citizens will have to reassess the role of the judiciary these days.
For the latter half of the 20th century, worries over "judicial acitivism" and judges' making decisions that should be made by legislatures have been the domain of conservatives, with Roe v. Wade probably being the chief example. But now liberals have said similar things about the Supreme Court's Bush v. Gore decision. It is high time for intelligent discussion, and this book is a solid foundation for a dialogue.
By looking at natural law historically, legally, and philosophically, the authors of this book examine how natural law works and various challenges to it. This book is a very good introduction, and I have come away with a greater respect for natural law and its vital role in our nation, and also new questions to pursue (and more books to buy...).
The contributing authors are an impressive team of formidable thinkers, and while most of the writers clearly come from a religious background, the are pretty good about keeping what they say applicable to a secular society (the last two essays tend to be more theological than philosophical, and I thought that hurt their impact).
I think MacIntyre's essay on the role of the ordinary person in natural law is particularly valuable: if the American citizenry cannot execute sound moral judgment, our nation as a constitutional republic is in grave danger. Fuller's essay on Locke's struggles with natural law is an honest and challenging look at natural law's theoretical chinks. Riley's essay on tort law gave excellent lessons on liability, but with lawsuits being as common as they are nowadays, I would have hoped for more practical insights on today's situation, and possible remedies.
On the whole, this book is a good read and a good challenge. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in ethics or concerned about the present condition of the United States.
Rating: 5
Summary: Scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading.
Comment: Common Truths: New Perspectives On Natural Law is a collection consisting of cogent remarks and prescient essays: Are There Moral Truths That Everyone Knows? (Ralph McInerny); Natural Law: The Legacy of Greece and Rome (J. Rufus Fears); Aquinas, Natural Law, and the Challenges of Diversity (John Jenkins); John Locke's Reflections on Natural Law and the Character of the Modern World (Timothy Fuller); Theories of Natural Law in the Culture of Advanced Modernity (Alasdair MacIntyre); What Dignity Means (Virginia Black); Natural Law and Positive Law (Robert P. George); Natural Rights and the Limited of Constitutional Law (Russell Hittinger); Natural Law and Sexual Ethics (Janet E. Smith); Contract Law and Natural Law (Edward J. Murphy); Tort Law and Natural Law (William N. Riley); Criminal Law and Natural Law (Ian A.T. McLean); and Natural Law in the Twenty-First Century (Charles E. Rice). Common Truths is scholarly, intellectually stimulating reading for anyone wanting to better understand and appreciate the permanent norms of human action and their relationships to a moral and political life.
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Title: City of God (Penguin Classics) by St. Augustine, David Knowles, Henry Bettenson ISBN: 0140444262 Publisher: Penguin USA Pub. Date: June, 1984 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Man and the State by Jacques Maritain, Jacques Maritian ISBN: 0813209056 Publisher: Catholic Univ of Amer Pr Pub. Date: February, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The First Grace: Rediscovering the Natural Law in the Post-Christian World by Russell Hittinger ISBN: 188292682X Publisher: ISI Books Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Written on the Heart: The Case for Natural Law by J. Budziszewski ISBN: 083081891X Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: June, 1997 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Discord and Collaboration: Essays on International Politics by Arnold Wolfers ISBN: 0801806917 Publisher: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr Pub. Date: October, 1965 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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