Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Excellent, Nuanced Critique of Tocqueville
A Review of Lucien Jaume's Tocqueville: The Aristocratic Sources of Liberty (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013).
While this profound, and elegantly written and translated work,
will not appeal to all scholars of political thought, Jaume (Centre Recherche
Politiques de Sciences Po) nevertheless provides many insights into the life
and work of the great French student of American social and political life. Emphasizing the contribution of Democracy in America, the author
suggests that the best interpretative model for understanding Tocqueville incorporates
an appreciation for his historical context, arguing that Tocqueville should not
be considered as our “contemporary” (p. 8); an acknowledgement of his
attachment to French ideas; and a realization of the opaque nature of his
critique (a “palette of meanings,” p. 9).
Jaume proceeds to analyze Tocqueville as a political scientist,
sociologist, moralist, and literary figure.
As a political scientist, Tocqueville is an advocate of popular rule
with an organic view of politics, and a defender of the diffusion of political
authority and localism. Society begets
political arrangements, and for Tocqueville, “society creates paths to its own
ends” (p. 95). As a moralist,
Tocqueville attempts to unite the “telos of democracy and the dignity of man”
(p. 186). Finally, as a writer,
Tocqueville is an “aristocratic moralist” (p. 326).
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Cheek on the Next Pope
Electing a pope is a complicated, mysterious process
During his 2008 visit to the United States, Pope Bendict XVI visited and spoke at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Catholic University of America.)
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| Dr. Lee Cheek |
How unusual is the current status of the papacy?
The last time a pope resigned was Pope Gregory XII in 1415 during the "Great Schism," but canon law does allow for the potential for a pope to resign. Pope Benedict's resignation has become a media event because it is so rare, but his resignation is not a statement about Pope Benedict XVI's papacy or the status of the Roman Catholic Church itself. I believe it is a very thoughtful approach to the end of his pontificate from a man who is one of the most gifted theologians of the 21st century, and I expect he will continue his scholarly writings as Pope Emeritus.
How has the process for electing a pope changed throughout the centuries?
There are many things that we don't know because we do not have a lot of observation or knowledge of the world inside the Vatican, and electing a pope is a very secretive process. For the most part, the process is largely unchanged since the 13th century. In 1996, then-Pope John Paul II issued a new apostolic constitution that governs the election of the pope to allow for a 15-day waiting period before the process begins. On Feb. 25, Benedict XVI rescinded that waiting period for the election of his successor to allow for a quick succession of power. With the conclave beginning this week, we will probably have a new pope before the Christian holy week.
What is the process for electing the pope?
When the reign of a pope ends, the College of Cardinals, also called the conclave, is summoned to the Vatican; the next pope typically is among them. There currently are 183 cardinals living in 52 countries; only the 117 cardinals younger than 80 are eligible to vote for the pope.
The cardinals stay together at Saint Martha's House throughout the process and have no interaction with the outside world, though they will have discussions among themselves and will potentially advocate certain candidates. When the conclave is ready to begin, the voting cardinals are locked into the Sistine Chapel and the doors are sealed with ribbons and wax.
Electing a new pope is a very holy and spiritual process and the conclave begins each day with prayer. During voting, the cardinals sit across from each other in two rows, ballots are distributed, and each cardinal marks his ballot with a name and carries it to a gold plate at the front of the chapel. Ballots are transferred to a sacred chalice and the votes are tallied. The dean of the conclave announces who has received the most votes and the process is repeated until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority. The ballots are burned after each vote; black smoke means no pope has been elected, white smoke means a pope has been elected.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who took the name Benedict XVI, was elected pope in 24 hours after just two votes, but it has taken as long as a year in other cases. Typically, the process takes a couple of weeks.
Things move quickly after a pope is elected; the dean of the conclave immediately asks the candidate if he accepts. If so, the cardinals pledge their allegiance to the new pope and he is immediately presented the white vestments worn only by the pope.
The world is introduced to the new pope when the dean of the College of Cardinals steps out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to proclaim "Habemus Papam," Latin for "We have a pope."
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
An Exemplary Study of Nietzsche as Political Philosopher
A Review of William H. F. Altman's Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche: The Philosopher of the Second Reich (Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books, 2013).
In this imaginative and refined commentary on Nietzsche’s political
thought, Altman provides an incisive critique of the achievement of Nietzsche, as
well as his limitations. The work is the
third volume of a trilogy on German political thought, following earlier studies
by the author of Heidegger and Leo Strauss. Utilizing Nietzsche’s own aphoristic style as
evinced in his Daybreak, the main arguments
of the text are presented in the course of five chapters (“books”) composed of 155
essays, and 63 pages of notes, and other ancillary writings. The first chapter critiques Nietzsche as the
classicist who looked to the past, but equally to the future, to evaluate the crisis
of liberal institutions in his own time and place. Chapter Two even more explicitly demonstrates
Nietzsche’s connection to the political world of the Second Reich. Nietzsche’s criticism of Plato, and his
rather limited appreciation of Aristotle, are presented in Chapter 3. Nietzsche’s defense of aristocratic elitism,
and his assimilation and use of Platonic themes, especially dualism, are
assessed convincingly by the author as well.
The two final chapters place Nietzsche within the historical context of
the Second Reich, providing insightful reflections on Nietzsche’s influence during
World War I.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
A Good Introduction to Political Philosophy
White, Michael J. Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2012.
In a lengthy and readable manner, White (Arizona State University) provides a capable introduction to major political philosophers in the Western tradition. Generally, the text follows a traditional approach by surveying seminal thinkers and texts, but the author, influenced by recent efforts to place political philosophy “within the context of a more comprehensive moral, philosophical, or religious point of view” (p. 414), provides a supplemental basis of analysis for the reader to contemplate as well. The underlying argument of the text is most laudable, but insufficient use is made of the recent scholarship that most closely conforms to this mode of interpretation.
As a second edition, the book includes a new chapter on Cicero, and new sections on Marsilius of Padua and John Stuart Mill. The chapter on Cicero addresses the interconnectivity between reason and morality in Cicero’s political thought. Additional contributions of the text are the author’s attempt to introduce, and then explicate, the “enduring issues” of political philosophy as a framework (pp. 13-17) for better understanding contemporary politics, and the thoughtful treatment of Christianity’s role in shaping the political thought of the West (chapter 6).
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