James V. Schall Livres

First published in 1920, The Intellectual Life has been repeatedly reprinted and continues to inspire and instruct young scholars.

This book is an account and evaluation by a renowned political philosopher and professor of several key and often shocking actions in the decade from 2006-2016. These incidents, in one way or another, had Islamic origins. The author discusses the difficulty that Europeans and Americans have in recognizing that this militancy is not just caused by "terrorists", as if that were some kind of independent movement or mind-set. Violence has a source. No one undertakes it without a cause that is worth, in his mind, the risk even of death. Islam is unique in its description of a world within Islam that supposedly lives peacefully by the law of Allah, and a world outside of this sphere which is a world at war with Islam. Fr. Schall also reflects on the similarity of Islamic voluntarist philosophy, which is necessarily used to account for the many contradictions found within the Qur'an, and the voluntarism that is found now present in most western societies and governments. The study of Islamic thinking and of western nominalism show common roots. Both, in different ways, end up with a world devoid of any natural order. His main concern is the abiding existence of Islam over time, a constant prodding to achieve the goal of submission of all to Allah as a political and cultural fact. This book is a record of Schall's own reaction and understanding of the incidents in which Allah was claimed as the reason for the crisis caused by various shootings, bombings, and killings

Exploring the interplay between Roman Catholicism and political philosophy, the author argues that revelation complements the inquiries of political thought regarding human purpose and destiny. By avoiding polemics, Schall illustrates how both realms enrich one another, fostering a deeper understanding of God, humanity, and the world. His approach emphasizes the harmonious relationship between faith and reason, suggesting that each can illuminate the other's insights.

The Modern Age By James V. Schall At its beginning, every age has been ";modern."; We speak of ";pre-"; and ";post-"; modern ages. We are likewise tempted to identify what is most up-to-date with what is true. But to be up-to-date is to be out-of-date. If we find what is really true in any age, it will be true in all ages. This proposition is central to this book. Moreover, what is true will appear in different guises, as will what is false. The ";modern age"; had often considered itself relativist, or secular, or skeptical. It strove to divest itself of its theological and metaphysical backgrounds, only to find that the central themes from this tradition recur again and again, most often under political or even scientific forms. This book proposes to ";see"; these classical and revelational roots within their modern forms. But we also find the proposition that what exists is only what we make. We find no ";truth"; but that of

"This book tries to return to the first obligation of the Christian, that of worshipping God. It argues that contemporary Christian thought and practice, insofar as they are moved away from the center, usually in the name of social action or ecology, have changed the essential meaning and purpose of human life in the Christian tradition. Christianity has always been concerned with the common man. It has not doubted his finiteness and his fallenness, but it has also insisted that this is the kind of person who is called to share in the life of the Triune God. It is therefore uncompromising in insisting that the worship of God comes first, and this enables Christians to transcend any secular ideology which pretends priority to this worship. The mood of the book is mainly light-hearted. It falls largely into the tradition of sanity and humor that have come to be associated with the particularly English Christianity of such writers as Chesterton and Belloc, C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and Mascall. Within that tradition it argues that the centrality of the basic dogmas of our faith is precisely what frees us both from the solemnity of contemporary ideologies and for Christian laughter--the Divine Comedy"--

The author examines the human thought process, focusing on the importance of intellect, and discusses the philosophies of Plato, Aquinas, A.D. Sertillanges, Wendell Berry, and other writers.

"This is a book on the truth of things, including the truth found in things that are wrong or even evil, the "alternative world." But it is primarily a book about the many things that are, the infinity of particular things, as well as the highest things, both of which come to us primarily by gift and superabundance. The wonder, indeed the amazement, of our existence is not that there is so little, but so much. And it is intrinsic to this "so much" that, through our minds and our experience, we are open to these things that are not ourselves. The mind is capax omnium, capable of knowing all things."--Jacket

Exploring the interconnectedness of cosmic, mental, and societal orders, the author delves into the idea that these structures reflect a deeper unity. Despite modern tendencies to attribute existence to randomness, a persistent order emerges across various domains, suggesting a common good. Drawing on Aquinas, the text argues that the universe’s complexity and beauty hint at an external creator. Ultimately, the human mind's affinity for discovering this order reveals a profound relationship between existence and understanding, enriching our appreciation of the world.

The engaging and inquiring mind of French philosopher Jacques Maritain reflected on subjects as varied as art and ethics, theology and psychology, and history and metaphysics. Maritain's work on the theoretical groundings of politics arose from his diverse studies. In this book, distinguished theologian and political scientist James V. Schall explores Maritain's political philosophy, demonstrating that Maritain understood society, state, and government in the tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas, of natural law and human rights and duties. Schall pays particular attention to the ways in which evil appears in political forms, and how this evil can be morally dealt with. Schall's study will be of great importance to students and scholars of political science, philosophy, and theology.