Originalism and the Anchoring Truths of the Constitution
352 pages
13 hours of reading
Challenging legal relativism and originalism, Hadley Arkes emphasizes the timeless moral principles embedded in the U.S. Constitution, rooted in the human condition. He argues that revitalizing these principles is essential for overcoming national dysfunction and achieving societal stability. Arkes, influenced by Leo Strauss, advocates for a return to the foundational ideals of the Founders, suggesting that their insights can guide contemporary life and governance.
In 1929, G.K. Chesterton noted that Blessed Thomas More is increasingly significant, a sentiment echoed by Judge Robert J Conrad, Jr. in a collection of stories about More and John Fisher. Their sanctity and integrity helped them and their loved ones navigate tumultuous times that resonate with today’s challenges. While the sixteenth century may seem distant from our tech-driven era, both periods share themes of political maneuvering, legal corruption, pandemics, riots, suppression of speech, loss of religious liberty, and a troubling indifference to truth. Judge Conrad skillfully intertwines the lives of More and Fisher, highlighting the influences of family, faith, friendship, oaths, vocation, detachment, and conscience. He invites readers striving for holiness to follow the narrow path these martyrs walked, grounded in the truth of Christ’s Church, and infused with a wit that even charmed their persecutors. Both men resisted the theological farce that allowed the king’s divorce and remarriage, ultimately sacrificing their lives for their convictions. More died as the king’s good servant and God’s first, while Fisher faced execution with wedding-like joy. Their legacies endure as beacons of courage in our time, making their stories profoundly relevant today.
Je klamstvo vždy nesprávne? Alebo existujú prípady, v ktorých je klamstvo dovolené? Ako by ste odpovedali nacistovi, ktorý sa vás pri dverách pýta, či ukrývate Židov? Vo februári 2011 americká mládežnícka pro-life organizácia Live Action uverejnila na internete videá, v ktorých jej aktivisti prezlečení za pasákov a prostitútky získavajú informácie o možnosti získania antikoncepcie, potratov a lekárskej starostlivosti od pracovníkov rôznych pobočiek štátom spolufinancovanej organizácie Planned Parenthood, venujúcej sa práve týmto činnostiam. Ústretovosť a ochota niektorých zamestnancov Planned Parenthood voči údajným prostitútkam, niektorým dokonca mladistvým, vyvolala v Spojených štátoch škandál vedúci až k hlasovaniu o zastavení štátneho financovania tejto inštitúcie v dolnej komore amerického parlamentu. V hnutí za život videá Live Action vyvolali búrlivú diskusiu o morálnosti jej praktík a vôbec o morálnosti klamstva na záchranu života. Táto kniha prináša časť diskusie, ktorá prebehla na americkom diskusnom portáli Public Discourse, doplnenú o teologickú a filozofickú argumentáciu i historické príklady ilustrujúce túto závažnú otázku.
