Is individual self-determination eroding our shared public life?
In short: Explore a theological and philosophical critique of modern liberalism. This lecture examines how an obsession with individual autonomy might be reshaping—and potentially undermining—the communal structures of law and society.
In this Gresham College lecture, Lord Richard Harries explores the tension between liberal individualism and communal goods. He introduces a critical perspective from Joan Lockwood O’Donovan, who argues that the modern concept of human rights relies on an 'attenuated' view of the person. This focus on individual self-determination can lead to 'moral monism,' where public life becomes dominated by private conceptions.
Harries highlights the danger of using individualist language to express communal aims, such as marriage or the structures of law, which may be ill-suited for such expressions. The lecture provides a framework for debating how these concepts intersect with religion and contemporary controversies like assisted suicide.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Liberalism, Autonomy and Rights - Lord Richard Harries
- Also: Liberalism, Autonomy and Rights (Lecture 2)
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