Conscience and its enemies : confronting the dogmas of liberal secularism / Robert P George.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

George, Robert P., author.

Series:

American ideals and institutions series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Secularism--United States.

Secularism.

United States.

Political science--Philosophy.

Political science.

Values--United States.

Values.

Conscience.

Natural law.

Physical Description:

xii, 290 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Wilmington, Delaware : ISI Books, [2013]

Summary:

""Many in elite circles yield to the temptation to believe that anyone who disagrees with them is a bigot or a religious fundamentalist. Reason and science, they confidently believe, are on their side. With this book, I aim to expose the emptiness of that belief." --From the introductionAssaults on religious liberty and traditional morality are growing fiercer. Here, at last, is the counterattack.Showcasing the talents that have made him one of America's most acclaimed and influential thinkers, Robert P. George explodes the myth that the secular elite represents the voice of reason. In fact, George shows, it is on the elite side of the cultural divide where the prevailing views frequently are nothing but articles of faith. Conscience and Its Enemies reveals the bankruptcy of these too often smugly held orthodoxies while presenting powerfully reasoned arguments for classical virtues.In defending what James Madison called the "sacred rights of conscience"--rights for which government shows frightening contempt--George grapples with today's most controversial issues: abortion and infanticide, same-sex marriage, genetic manipulation, euthanasia and assisted suicide, religion in politics, judicial activism, and more. His brilliantly argued essays rely not on theological claims or religious authority but on established scientific facts and a philosophical tradition that extends back to Plato and Aristotle.Conscience and Its Enemies elevates our national debates. It sets forth powerful arguments that secular liberals are unaccustomed to hearing--and that embattled defenders of traditional morality so often fail to marshal. It also lays out the principles and arguments for rebuilding a moral order"-- Provided by publisher.

"Collection of previously published essays on cultural and legal issues relating to the marriage debate, abortion and embryonic stem cell research, political liberty, and religious freedom"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part I Fundamentals

1 Common Principles, Common Foes 3

2 The Limits of Constitutional Limits 14

3 Private Acts, Public Interests 23

4 Liberalism, Liberation, and the Liberal Arts 27

5 Judicial Despotism: Lessons from the "Great Emancipator" 42

6 Some Hard Questions about Affirmative Action 53

7 Immigration and American Exceptionalism 61

Part II Morality and the Public Square

8 Natural Law, God, and Human Dignity 71

9 Why Moral Truths Matter 91

10 Two Concepts of Liberty... and Conscience 106

11 Religious Liberty: A Fundamental Human Right 115

12 What Marriage Is-and What It Isn't 126

13 The Myth of a "Grand Bargain" on Marriage 142

14 God and Gettysburg 147

Part III Life and Death

15 Conscience and Its Enemies 155

16 When Life Begins 165

17 Embryo Ethics What Science Tells US, What Justice Demands of Us 168

18 The Personal and the Political Some Liberal Fallacies 186

19 A Right to Life Denied or a Right to Die Honored? 194

20 The "Relics of Barbarism," Then and Now 202

Part IV Good Guys and ... Not-So-Good Guys

21 Harry Blackmun: Improbable Liberal Icon 209

22 Andrew Sullivan: A Walking Contradiction 214

23 Bernard Nathanson: A Life Transformed by Truth 220

24 He Threw It All Away: On the Greatness of Richard John Neuhaus 227

25 A Practical Philosopher in Every Way G. E. M. Anscombe 233

26 The Achievement of John Finnis 237

27 Elizabeth Fox-Genovese A Life Well Lived 248

28 Eugene Genovese Truth Teller 251.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-273) and index.

ISBN:

9781610170703

1610170709

OCLC:

847537326