It is with deep sorrow that the St Mary’s University community joins the global Catholic family in mourning the death of His Holiness, Pope Francis.
Read more >>Pope Francis RIP
Author: Philip Booth
St Mary’s University – Dean of Faculty – Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. Professor of Finance, Public Policy and Ethics.
As well as Dean of the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at St Mary’s University, Philip helps to develop curricula and teaches in fields such as political economy, business ethics and Catholic social teaching. He also works for the Institute of Economic Affairs as Senior Academic Fellow. Click here to view Philip’s full profile
Trumps tariffs are no solution to a non-existent problem
I have been giving talks about globalisation to Christian groups for some years. Over those years, it seemed to be a less and less interesting subject. It is disappointing that it has become topical again.
Read more >>Why does the tax system discriminate against caring in the home?
We have a new government which is just as fiscally constrained as the previous government. One reason it is fiscally constrained is because of the low birthrate. Perhaps we would do better in that respect if we had a tax system which did not discriminate against a parent staying at home (or working limited hours outside the home) whilst caring for the famiy’s children and elderly.
Read more >>Globalisation and the common good – video explainer
The Catholic social thought site has a range of video explainers. At the current time, when the news is full of tariffs and restrictions on migration, I thought it would be appropriate to post this video on Catholic social thought and globalisation. With thanks to the narrator Jasmine de Kretser.
Read more >>Assisted suicide should fall at second reading
As the UK parliament moves closer to the momentous vote on assisted suicide on 29th November, it is worth taking stock of the arguments. The arguments in favour of the bill fall on each of the grounds of principle, practice and because of the inadequacies of the bill – and you do not have to be Catholic to accept the arguments against.
Read more >>When words lose their meaning, people will lose their lives
One of the areas of work of F. A. Hayek was the evolution and use of language. He noted that Confucius was reported to have said: “when words lose their meaning, people will lose their liberty.” And Hayek described the profound impact on culture and politics of the ability of intellectuals to use old words and give them new meanings. Sometimes, and misleadingly, those meanings were the opposite of their classical definitions. Unfortunately, we can see this phenomenon today when it comes to life issues.
Read more >>Corruption, business and the care of creation
There is a wide variation in practice in relation to whether business enterprises respect the natural environment and human dignity as well as the rights of local communities. Best practice in environmental sustainability and the protection of the rights and dignity of local people can only be achieved if both governments and companies fulfil their proper functions and behave ethically. A typical situation here might be a mining or other industrial company choosing to operate in a poorer country.
Read more >>Together for the Common Good talks now available as podcasts
In the run up to the election, our friends at Together for the Common Good have launched a new podcast series exploring the common good as a catalyst to spiritual and civic renewal.
Read more >>The importance of ownership – protecting the environment from plunder
Despite the strong interest in property rights in Catholic social thought and teaching, their importance is rarely linked to the topic of the preservation of the natural environment. There is a clear prima facie case for doing so. It starts with what is often described as the ‘tragedy of the commons’.
Read more >>Is the proposed change to assisted dying legislation really about denying choice? Looking afresh at the harm principle
Esther Rantzen is one of a number of well-known and well-regarded celebrities who have publicly declared their support for a change in the law on assisted dying. When a celebrity makes a pronouncement, many people stop and take notice even if the celebrity is not making any new arguments. Celebrity is persuasive. Esther Rantzen says that she appreciates all the arguments against assisted dying. Nevertheless, she thinks that people should be given a choice about how and when they want to die. In particular, she wants to spare her family from the painful memories of a bad death. She observes that, after all, we give dogs a painless death. Given the current prohibition on assisted dying under English law she has decided that if her treatment for stage four lung cancer does not improve her condition she may just ‘buzz off to Zurich.’
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