From a reader:
Dear Jonah,
I’ve been following for a while your continuing thoughts of the moral roots of American order. They are not only welcome; they are correct. Where reasonable people do not agree about human ends and purposes, there is no possibility of real democratic discussion. (Most contemporary political philosophy is premised squarely on the explicit denial of just this. See Rawls, Habermas, etc.) I write, however, simply to point out a book on the subject that you may not have read. John Courtney Murray’s *We Hold These Truths* is a locus classicus on the issue, and no thoughtful conservative (or American!) can understand American order without understanding the substance of Murray’s argument. I respectfully suggest a discussion in The Corner on the perennial philosophy of Fr. Murray. I’m certain that Ramesh has something typically smart to say on the matter. K-Lo too. And add Fr. Rutler, if he’s still around.