Healing the Culture Book

Healing the Culture is the most comprehensive philosophy of the pro-life movement in print today. This book changes the discussion on abortion and euthanasia by linking these issues with the philosophical underpinnings of our culture and the principles and values through which we live. More than a mere explanation of the life issues, the authors present a course in philosophy and a guide to enhanced meaning and purpose in life .

This groundbreaking work addresses the connection between the culture's view of everything from happiness and success, to self-worth, love, suffering, ethics, freedom and personhood, and shows how our notion of personhood holds the key not only to our concept of ourselves, but also to the future of rights and the common good.

While much has been written on the notion of personhood, the necessity of understanding the human person in the context of human happiness, success, self-worth, love, and suffering has been largely ignored. Attending to these main strivings and capacities of human beings, this book tackles definition theory and applies it to a comprehensive definition of personhood.

Our culture today has only a vague appreciation of rights and the common good. A vague understanding of personhood has opened the way to subjective and arbitrary interpretations of human rights controlled by the whims of special interest groups. Because rights belong to persons, and the common good is for community of persons, how we define "person" will determine the fate of inalienable rights.

Healing the Culture offers a cure to the narrow cultural assumptions which have focused on materialistic definitions to the exclusion of what is pervasive, enduring, and deep. The future of our culture depends on the restoration of five principles which have been seriously compromised or even undermined since the Roe vs. Wade decision:

1) The critical assumption of personhood - that all beings of human origin must be considered "persons."
2) Principle-based ethics which has been undermined by the justification of abortion and euthanasia.

3) The restoration of the inalienability of fundamental rights which have been subjectivized by the culture since the Roe vs. Wade decision.

4) The restoration of the objective ordering of inalienable rights which has been both subjectivized and compromised since the Roe vs. Wade decision.

5) The restoration of higher level views of quality of life (self-communication, self-transcendence, love, and faith) within a culture that has allowed minimalistic views (pleasure, possession, and autonomy) to dominate our thinking.

Independent of the two life issues, the contents of this book can help the reader to achieve a more meaningful life and a richer interaction with family, friends, colleagues, and community. But if these five issues are not dealt with, the culture will experience a marked decline. The reversal of abortion and euthanasia is not enough. The injury we have suffered from justifying these two issues must be confronted and healed. This book is intended to evoke such healing and therefore to help the pro-life movement achieve its highest and deepest mandate.

Healing the Culture A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues By Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. with Robin a. Bernhoft, M.D. and Camille E. De Blasi, M.A. $16.95 Healing the Culture is the most comprehensive philosophy of the pro-life movement in print today. This book changes the discussion on abortion and euthanasia by linking these issues with the philosophical underpinnings of our culture and the principles and values through which we live. More than a mere explanation of the life issues, the authors present a course in philosophy and a guide to enhanced meaning and purpose in life . This groundbreaking work addresses the connection between the culture's view of everything from happiness and success, to self-worth, love, suffering, ethics, freedom and personhood, and shows how our notion of personhood holds the key not only to our concept of ourselves, but also to the future of rights and the common good. While much has been written on the notion of personhood, the necessity of understanding the human person in the context of human happiness, success, self-worth, love, and suffering has been largely ignored. Attending to these main strivings and capacities of human beings, this book tackles definition theory and applies it to a comprehensive definition of personhood. Our culture today has only a vague appreciation of rights and the common good. A vague understanding of personhood has opened the way to subjective and arbitrary interpretations of human rights controlled by the whims of special interest groups. Because rights belong to persons, and the common good is for community of persons, how we define "person" will determine the fate of inalienable rights. Healing the Culture offers a cure to the narrow cultural assumptions which have focused on materialistic definitions to the exclusion of what is pervasive, enduring, and deep. The future of our culture depends on the restoration of five principles which have been seriously compromised or even undermined since the Roe vs. Wade decision: 1) The critical assumption of personhood - that all beings of human origin must be considered "persons." 2) Principle-based ethics which has been undermined by the justification of abortion and euthanasia. 3) The restoration of the inalienability of fundamental rights which have been subjectivized by the culture since the Roe vs. Wade decision. 4) The restoration of the objective ordering of inalienable rights which has been both subjectivized and compromised since the Roe vs. Wade decision. 5) The restoration of higher level views of quality of life (self-communication, self-transcendence, love, and faith) within a culture that has allowed minimalistic views (pleasure, possession, and autonomy) to dominate our thinking. Independent of the two life issues, the contents of this book can help the reader to achieve a more meaningful life and a richer interaction with family, friends, colleagues, and community. But if these five issues are not dealt with, the culture will experience a marked decline. The reversal of abortion and euthanasia is not enough. The injury we have suffered from justifying these two issues must be confronted and healed. This book is intended to evoke such healing and therefore to help the pro-life movement achieve its highest and deepest mandate. View other Life Principles Resources Click to read what people are saying about Healing the Culture




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