Daniel J. Mahoney Livres

This book explores the role of the thoughtful statesman in maintaining free and lawful political communities, aiming to clarify distinctions between the noble statesman, the average politician, and the despotic figure who undermines freedom. It critiques the reduction of politics to a mere "struggle for power," which obscures the true essence of political life. Through insightful portraits and reflections, the book highlights statesmen who fought to uphold civilized freedom during crises: Solon addressing class conflict in ancient Athens; Cicero defending republican liberty against Caesar's tyranny; Burke combating Jacobin fanaticism in revolutionary France; Lincoln preserving the American republic and abolishing slavery; Churchill opposing Nazi and Communist despotism; de Gaulle defending France during WWII; and Havel resisting Communist totalitarianism before leading the Czech Republic with dignity. Additionally, it touches on figures like Washington, Pyotr Stolypin, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Nelson Mandela. The book examines the writings and rhetoric of these statesmen, emphasizing the blend of magnanimity and moderation that characterizes the ideal statesman. This admirable combination, rooted in classical and Christian wisdom, reflects a noble commitment to safeguarding civilization against destructive regimes and ideologies.

The Western inheritance faces intense theoretical and practical challenges, with legitimate self-criticism devolving into nihilistic self-loathing and widespread cultural, moral, and political repudiation. However, Daniel J. Mahoney presents a compelling collection of essays that highlight the insights of two contemporary thinkers, Roger Scruton and Pierre Manent, who offer pathways for renewing politics, practical reason, and our civilized legacy. Both philosophers reject the nihilism linked to the “thought of 1968” and advocate for gratitude as a response to the “givenness of things.” They defend the self-governing nation against both reckless nationalism and the dangers of supranational governance and post-political democracy, which Manent describes as a “kratos” without a “demos.” While supporting a secular state, they critique radical secularism that dismisses the Christian essence of our heritage, which fosters the vital connection between truth and liberty. Scruton’s cultural perspective draws from Burke and Kant, whereas Manent’s political viewpoint is influenced by Aristotle, St. Thomas, Tocqueville, and Raymond Aron. By examining their similarities and instructive differences, Mahoney illustrates how Scruton and Manent can guide us toward a revitalized horizon of thought and action rooted in practical reason and the human soul, urging us to reject repudiation and embrace a more hopeful future.

"This book is a learned essay at the intersection of politics, philosophy, and religion. It is first and foremost a diagnosis and critique of the secular religion of our time, humanitarianism, or the "religion of humanity." It argues that the humanitarian impulse to regard modern man as the measure of all things has begun to corrupt Christianity itself, reducing it to an inordinate concern for "social justice," radical political change, and an increasingly fanatical egalitarianism. Christianity thus loses its transcendental reference points at the same time that it undermines balanced political judgment. Humanitarians, secular or religious, confuse peace with pacifism, equitable social arrangements with socialism, and moral judgment with utopianism and sentimentality. With a foreword by the distinguished political philosopher Pierre Manent, Mahoney's book follows Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in affirming that Christianity is in no way reducible to a "humanitarian moral message." In a pungent if respectful analysis, it demonstrates that Pope Francis has increasingly confused the Gospel with left-wing humanitarianism and egalitarianism that owes little to classical or Christian wisdom. It takes its bearings from a series of thinkers (Orestes Brownson, Aurel Kolnai, Vladimir Soloviev, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) who have been instructive critics of the "religion of humanity." These thinkers were men of peace who rejected ideological pacifism and never confused Christianity with unthinking sentimentality. The book ends by affirming the power of reason, informed by revealed faith, to provide a humanizing alternative to utopian illusions and nihilistic despair."--Publisher's description