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How did Jacques Maritain use Thomistic ideas to discuss democracy and community?
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Thomism
St. Thomas Aquinas Enthroned Between the Doctors of the Old and New Testaments, with Personifications of the Virtues, Sciences, and Liberal Arts, fresco by Andrea da Firenze, c. 1365; in the Spanish Chapel of the Church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence.
Jacques Maritain, a prominent 20th-century philosopher, utilized Thomism to bridge the gap between classical thought and modern political challenges. His approach, often termed integral humanism, emphasized the dignity of the individual while simultaneously highlighting the importance of the Christian community.12
Regarding democracy and community, Maritainās philosophy was grounded in several key contentions:
- Individual Transcendence: He argued that the individual person transcends the political community, asserting that human dignity is not derived from the state.1
- Natural Law: He maintained that natural law provides a universal moral foundation that is known naturally by human beings, which serves as a basis for political order.1
- Political Cooperation: Maritain believed that individuals holding diverse beliefs must cooperate to form and maintain salutary political institutions, a necessity for a functioning democracy.13
By applying these Thomistic concepts, Maritain sought to provide a philosophical framework that respects human freedom and moral responsibility within the structure of a modern, pluralistic society.13