In his lecture “Democracy, Law, and the Human Person,” Professor George will provide a detailed explanation and critique of two prominent approaches to political morality, namely, those proposed by the late John Rawls and Jurgen Habermas. He will argue that these theories go wrong in supposing that political institutions can or should be designed, and that laws and public policies can or should be enacted, on the basis of what Professor Rawls labeled, “anti-perfectionism.” That is the idea that principles of justice must be selected while prescinding from controversial judgments of what makes for or detracts from a valuable and morally worthy way of life. Professor George will defend a “perfectionist” account of justice and political morality, arguing that far from posing a threat to valuable civil liberties, as some have claimed, it puts such liberties on a more secure philosophical basis and enables us to attain a better understanding of their content, scope, and limits.
The lecture was a part of the Bratislava Hanus Days Festival - a unique urban cultural-academic festival in the beautiful city of Bratislava. We aim to combine faith with reason, inspire the search for Truth, Goodness and Beauty, and show that Christianity "is not a memory of the past, but a very living and real reality." (Benedict XVI.) The festival is intended for both academics and a wider audience. You can look forward to several evenings of discussions and lectures in the fields of politics, theology, psychology or other social sciences. We have also prepared accompanying events (both spiritual and artistic).
VISIT OUR ENGLISH WEBSITE: hanusdays.com
Instagram: @hanusovedni
Facebook: Hanusove dni
