Katolicyzm a liberalizm - szkic z filozofii społecznej
Abstract
In the individual, social, and political dimensions, the shaping of the
liberal tradition has met up with and will continue to meet up with the
presence of the Roman Catholic Church with its own philosophy. Yet has
this always led to sharp conflict between Catholicism and liberalism? Has
the social thinking of the Church evolved in its assessment of the liberal
tradition and vice versa? Have there been points in common in the two
systems of thinking? In contrast, where have sparks appeared? Does
Catholicism support the stability of liberal democracy? A response to these
questions comprises the primary aim of the work at hand. Herein is
a presentation and appraisal of one of the most interesting and continually
lively clashes, accompanied by a portrayal of both Catholicism and
liberalism. Analysis will be conducted at the level of social philosophy,
through incidental political practice, and from the historical perspective –
all of which together will enable illustration of the dynamic relationship
between Catholicism and liberalism.
Due to the scope of liberalism, the analysis of the Catholicism-liberalism
relationship will be limited solely to the philosophy of politics and of
economics. Such a restricted social philosophy involves the following
issues: the genesis, essence, and characteristics of social policy; its ultimate
justification or lack thereof; the relationship between the political society
and its members; the types of structured political communities; the genesis,
nature and duties of political authorities; the definition of the law, its
foundations and limitations; the essence and properties of economic life;
types of ownership; and, finally, the relations taking place between politics
and economics.
The problem inherent in an encounter between the social thinking of the
Roman Catholic Church and liberalism appear to be especially meaningful
in the context of the Polish discourse regarding the new order, its theoretical
bases and institutions, projects for the realization of individual freedom, and the superiority or inferiority of values in today’s pluralistic universe. This
matter is of great consequence and significance – not only intellectually but
above all practically – and manifests itself in political, economic, and
cultural life. Nonetheless, for decades now, Polish research into this issue
has been entangled in occasional conflicts of a worldview and political
nature. In turn, there is a lack of understanding and objective theoretical
reflection on the subject. In fact, there are no publications which attempt to
understand liberalism and assess the validity of the accusations against it.
The vast amount of literature devoted to this problem most frequently opens,
right from the start, with arguments stemming from either a Marxist or
Catholic apologetics. The liberal credo is not identified with the philosophy
of politics, but rather the theory of pro-capitalist economics. This, as a result,
not only misrepresents the crux of liberalism, but also narrows the catalogue
of responses by the Church on this very topic – starting with the encyclical
Rerum novarum (1891) by Pope Leo XIII. In order to resolve this problem,
the analysis will be rooted in the broader philosophical and historical
context. In other words, it will look into liberalism on the one hand, and into
those Church documents in which that institution first spoke of liberalism
on the other.
The discussions and deliberations contained within this volume are laid
out in an introduction, four chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction
includes the theoretical bases and methodological assumptions of this work,
taking into account the principles of philosophical reflection and analysis.
The fundamental chapters present the evolution of an attitude towards
liberalism in the social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church – from Pius
VI to John Paul II – taking under consideration the key moments and figures
in the development of liberalism (e.g., John Locke, John Stuart Mills, John
Rawls). In this time period four stages of a Catholic reference to liberalism
will be distinguished. The first three constitute: 1) animosity and
condemnation (from Pius VI to Pius IX), 2) criticism accompanied by
tolerance (from Leo XIII to Pius XII, and 3) criticism accompanied by
limited concord (from John XXIII to Paul VI). Today, and with increasing
frequency, voices are heard speaking of the teachings of John Paul II as
marking a new caesura in the Catholic-liberalism relationship. Hence it is
worth re-evaluating and re-analyzing if such opinions are justified.
The volume closes with a conclusion comprising an attempt to answer
the following questions. Are Catholic accusations addressed at liberalism correct or not? Has liberalism turned out to be a philosophy open to criticism
and capable of modification as the weak points in liberal theory and practice
are disclosed? Can Catholic values enrich the liberal political order? Can
Catholic moral-religious norms, introduced into the realm of political
responsibilities, endanger the foundations of the liberal system? Reviewing
the evolution of Catholicism as well as liberalism, has Catholicism found its
place amidst the pluralistic harmony of liberal democracy?
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