Man is a rational animal. From a moral standpoint, that means he aspires to act—and often does act—in accordance with principles that join together to form an ideal of life. He’s also social, so his […]
A couple of months ago I commented on how modern ways of thinking make it hard to understand human life. I didn’t say so specifically, but a big part of the problem has to do […]
In America, “pro-life“ mostly means “anti-abortion.“ The name helps counter the “pro-choice“ brand and emphasize the positive concerns at stake. It also supports closely-related concerns such as euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and various reproductive […]
Many Christians argue for capitalism on the grounds that markets and private property support man’s rightful freedom, and doing away with them means poverty and tyranny. That seems a strong argument, so in response opponents […]
A lot of bad things happen in a world that has lost God. One is the disappearance of the rational freedom that is the natural setting for faith, science, morality, and pursuit of the common […]
What’s bad about normalizing homosexuality and other forms of sexual nonconformity? If a woman becomes sexually involved with another woman, or redefines herself as a man, how does it harm anyone else? Why not just […]
I noted last month that personal and social identity is a problem for people today. No one seems sure where it comes from, what it’s for, or what difference it should make. The natural attitude, it seems, […]
Brexit and the Trump movement, with their emphasis on the decisive importance of national identity, show that explicit identity politics has spread to all points of the political compass. That’s not surprising, since identity is […]
What does a Catholic do when he finds his outlook radically at odds with the direction of politics and public life? In America, at any rate, the answer has almost always been to stay in […]
Last month I noted that tradition is not self-contained or absolute. It’s complex, so that superior, subordinate, and parallel traditions often come into conflict. Local tradition may say one thing, Church or national tradition quite another. […]
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