By Jacques Maritain

What does it mean to be free, and what kind of society allows human freedom to flourish? In Freedom in the Modern World, Jacques Maritain examines these questions through a philosophy rooted in human nature and the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Maritain begins with the relationship between freedom and nature, then turns to history and political life. Developing the themes of his earlier work Religion and Culture, he contrasts a humanism centered on God with one centered on man, asking how the temporal order can respect the spiritual vocation of the human person.

His argument brings philosophy into practical focus: lasting social reform requires moral renewal, not merely a change in political structures. Reason, freedom, and law must take precedence over the will to power if civilization is to sustain human dignity and flourishing.

A thought-provoking work for readers of Catholic philosophy, Thomism, and political thought, Freedom in the Modern World explores both the promise of liberty and the responsibilities that make it possible.

Jacques Maritain (1882–1973) was a Catholic philosopher whose writings span metaphysics, ethics, aesthetics, and social and political philosophy.

Paperback: 272 pages
ISBN: 978-1685954291