Volume 12, 2007
D. Q. Mclnerny
Pages 155-172
The Social Theory of Jacques Maritain
The philosopher Jacques Maritain developed a rich, multilayered political philosophy which was thoroughly informed by his deep Catholic faith. While clearly reflecting a debt to the thought of Aristotle and Saint Thomas Aquinas, it nonetheless bears the pronounced stamp of originality. The philosophy is the result of the sustained development of four interrelated ideas. The first is a philosophy of the person which is uniquely Maritain's. The second is his interpretation and peculiar application of the classical distinction between the secular and the sacral realms. The third is his philosophy of democracy, and the fourth is his theory of a new Christendom.