This is a must-listen for anyone interested in transforming the current cultural landscape. Dan and Catherine interview Magis Center's founder and president, Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., in his book Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of Life Issues. Implementing these ten principles is the key to saving our culture and fostering its flourishing. Immerse yourself in this timeless philosophical tradition and embark on the journey of building a flourishing society.
Father Spitzer establishes the difference between culture and society versus state and government. For culture and society to work, you need principles that can be animated and embodied by people within a given culture. Culture is the heart of a society, and a government often reflects its interconnected human heart. However, we live in a society that champions the notion that truth is relative. As a result, it is difficult to establish any principles in society that everyone can follow.
Father Spitzer begins his universal rules with those pertaining to reason. The human capacity to reason establishes our fundamental understanding of the world and forms our presuppositions, which heavily influence how we perceive and approach situations in society.
The first rule is "The Principle of Complete Explanation," which states that a theory that has the most objective explanation is the one that should be prioritized over others. As a society, we should always aim to implement principles and rules that provide a comprehensive explanation of the reasons to follow the principles.
The second rule, "The Principle of Noncontradiction," states that something cannot be and not be at the same time and in the same respect. Meaning that any theory or rule that contradicts itself is a false theory.
The third rule, "The Principle of Objective Evidence," posits that any theory without objective evidence is not reasonable or believable. Theories not rooted in what is objectively true can only be products of the human mind, which presupposes subjectivity rather than what is true in the world.
Ethics is the study of rightly ordered human behavior—It studies what behaviors are most conducive to human flourishing. What is considered morally right and wrong is constantly debated in the modern world. However, Father Spitzer lays out three ethical principles that can help save our society.
The fourth rule is "The Principle of Nonmaleficence," which states: do not do unto what you would not want done to you. When individuals do not follow this rule, they can be prone to manipulation, narcissism, and sadism, all of which form the behavioral patterns of psychopaths.
The fifth rule is "The Principle that the Ends do not Justify the Means." This principle claims that even if the goal you are pursuing is good, if you achieve it through the harm of others, then that end cannot be morally justified. The 20th century is littered with instances that violate this principle, such as Maoist China attempting to achieve a Communist utopia at the expense of millions of innocent deaths.
The sixth rule is "The Principle of Full Human Potential." This principle highlights the reality that no group of humans is more valuable than another. All humans possess inherent dignity and cannot be judged solely on their participation in a group. When this principle is not followed, it can lead to people justifying discrimination or even genocide.
The modern world champions the idea of justice. However, the modern notion of justice is rooted in radical individual freedom rather than what all humans naturally have in common. Father Spitzer explains how three fundamental rules of justice if put into practice, can help save our society.
The seventh rule is "The Principle of Natural Rights." This principle states that justice belongs to all humans and is rooted in life, freedom, property, and happiness. All humans are owed these four qualities due to the fact that we all possess an inherent human nature.
The eighth rule is "The Principle of the Fundamentality of Rights." All humans possess inherent rights, but how we promulgate these rights in society should be rooted in principles of reason and ethics rather than state, government, or individual gain.
The ninth rule is "The Principle of Beneficence," which posits that we ought to do the optimal good that we would want done to us. Another way to refer to this principle is ethical maximalism. We should attempt to maximize the best and flourishing in society both on the individual and collective levels.
The final universal rule is that what can help save society is Love. Following in Christ's words, “A new commandment I give to you. Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34-35). The love of Christianity is rooted in agape. To love through agape means that in order to love truly, we have to move from an egocentric worldview to a worldview that prioritizes the flourishing of others for its own sake. We should prioritize the flourishing of others not because it benefits us in any way but rather because by their very nature of being made in the image and likeness of God, they deserve it.
This episode demonstrates that within the chaos of the modern world, societies need to focus on the fundamental principles of reason, ethics, justice, and love in order to maximize the flourishing of all its members. Often, we encounter fragments of these qualities within our systems of law, institutions, or individual interactions. However, societies lack objective standards, which results in confusion and chaos. By confronting our own capacity for reason, proclivity towards ethical behaviors, what is justly owed to all humans, and our call to imitate Christocentric love, we can begin to save our society.