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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.

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.

Is it worth offsetting?

I wonder how many of us know what our carbon footprint actually is? The average for those of us in the UK is around 6.0 tonnes of greenhouse gases (GHG) each year (Our World in Data) For comparison, it’s 6.76 tonnes globally and 17.7 tonnes in the US and 9.8 in China.

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.

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’.

The family – the basic building block of society (part one)

The family is a much-neglected topic in political discourse – even amongst Christian members of parliament. And, even where politicians are supportive of the family, they do not seem to be able to express an over-arching narrative that ensures that the family forms the focus for political decision-making.

Crisis of Faith in Justice: A British Catholic’s Courageous Struggle for Freedom in Hong Kong Trial

A devoted Catholic and British citizen finds himself on trial under China’s sweeping national security law in Hong Kong, all for standing up for the promises made by the UK.

The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times

Jenny Sinclair is Founder and Director of Together for the Common Good. This is an edited version of her talk, ‘The Relational Church: Our Calling in Dark Times’ given at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, on 1 December 2023. Jenny was guest speaker for the Northern Diaconate Formation Partnership’s training weekend. This summary was first published on Independent Catholic News.

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