Catholic Lawyers Guild of Chicago - Intellectual Formation Event
Individual Freedom and the Common Good: In Search of a Universal Ethic__________________________________________ Friday, January 28 | 5:00pm CT
How do we, as citizens in a pluralistic society, balance individual freedom with the pursuit of the common good? Are any acts of individual will permitted, provided that they do not violate the collective consensus? Or is our individual liberty guided--and even in some instances, restrained--by some higher, universal ethical principles? The very claim of the existence of universal ethical principles instilled in the heart or nature of every human being, regardless of age, race, gender, religion, etc., is often considered a non-starter in our society. But without such principles, what are we left with to guide the unbridled free will of the individual? And if such principles exist, how do we discern what they are? Is there such thing as a "natural law" that has any purchase on how we should conduct our lives? In this timely lecture on the liturgical feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, Fr. Javier del Castillo, Opus Dei Vicar of the Midwest, will give a brief historical and philosophical analysis of the ethical principles that bind us, their roots in natural law, and why our contemporary society should give these principles a second chance if we are to live together in peace.