The Moral Mandate for Freedom: Introduction by Gregory Gronbacher

Genuine freedom is measured by our ability to choose the good in all areas of human life: This vision of freedom rooted in the truth about human nature was the single most important insight I gained from my studies under Professor Rocco Buttiglione at the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein. His survey of the contemporary state of liberty has led him to conclude that the basic issue the West faces today is the responsible use of freedom in its political, economic, and cultural dimensions.

The political dimension of freedom is inextricably linked to morality. Democracy is more than a political experiment; it is a spiritual and moral enterprise dependent upon the virtue of its citizens for its success. Yet many conservatives are questioning the ability of America-and of the West more generally-to be self-governing. Today's pervasive disorder has led to calls for stricter laws, and at times, the institution of a police state in the name of "law and order."

Buttiglione's logic of freedom rejects such demands. While the frustration of law-abiding citizens is understandable, their calls for order at the expense of liberty are misguided. In order to protect personal liberty and to let virtue fiourish, prudence must be exercised as to the strictness of the legal code; not every moral obligation need be codified in positive law. A society that seeks to remain free and virtuous must limit legislation and instead find creative ways of dissuading individuals from immoral and destructive behavior. We must seriously refiect on Acton's insight that liberty is not one virtue among many but the context for all virtue, and begin to move away from the statist mentality that wishes to call upon the state to solve what are essentially moral and religious problems.

As in political freedom, economic freedom raises questions about its responsible use. In fact, many today assert that economic liberty leads to economic injustice. How do we promote economic justice while protecting economic liberty? What economic system is most fitting for free persons?

Buttiglione notes that the encyclical Centesimus Annus marks the beginning of a "springtime in Christian social doctrine" for recognizing the importance of economic freedom. Not only is it practically important to promote economic liberty-it is also a moral obligation. Free markets succeed because they permit the proper interaction of human capital (creativity, intelligence, and virtue) with natural capital (land, resources, and machinery). The harnessing of these two types of capital naturally results in a free market, which, left to develop within a properly defined juridical and moral framework, proves to be the most effective and humane means of meeting basic human needs. Besides effectively producing wealth, the free market is also the most humane economic system possible, for it respects human dignity and freedom. A humane economy can only be achieved when economic structures are ordered to provide avenues for men and women to exercise their freedom in relation to the truth about who they are.

In addition to the responsible exercise of political and economic freedom, a vibrant culture is the bedrock for liberty. Such a culture can only be maintained if the institutions of family and church function freely and soundly. Our culture must understand and defend the notion of freedom in relation to the truth. Relativism is destroying our culture-a relativism in the name of liberty. This relativism is leading to the inability of society to tell right from wrong, thus making it more likely that people will abuse their freedom.

As Pope John Paul II often notes, authentic democracy is possible only on the basis of a rule of law and a correct concept of the human person. If there is no ultimate truth to guide and direct political and economic activity, then ideas and convictions can be easily manipulated for reasons of power. If we continue in our unrealistic relativism, we will eventually erode the safeguards of our freedom. Relativism foolishly believes that it best protects human freedom; unfortunately, it actually opens the door to anarchy or totalitarianism. In a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation, and humanity is exposed to the violence of manipulation, both open and hidden.

Those who would defend liberty need to present a moral vision of the free society. The moral relativism of modern liberalism has left the West without ordered liberty. Our priority must be to capture the moral high ground for human liberty and place the ideas of individual and community freedom at the center of our political, cultural, and social life. Free-market advocates need to understand that efficiency is not the primary reason that free enterprise and market incentives are good; their moral good fiows from the fact that they protect the rights of property ownership and the freedom of contract and provide the incentive and means to care for the least among us.

If we are to strive with some hope of securing a truly free and virtuous society, then we must recognize and insist that the truth be the informing principle for all human action. This connection was obvious to Lord Acton; he was convinced that conscience is the heart of the quest for liberty and that conscience must be guided by the truth. As we have seen in our own century, when nations turn away from the truth, they inevitably turn away from liberty.