Karol Wojtyła's (John Paul II's) Concept of the Nation Inspired by Jacques Maritain's Thought Cover Image

Inspiracje myślą Jacques'a Maritaina w koncepcji narodu Karola Wojtyły - Jana Pawła II
Karol Wojtyła's (John Paul II's) Concept of the Nation Inspired by Jacques Maritain's Thought

Author(s): Michał Kapias, Grzegorz Polok
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Theology and Religion, Sociology of Religion
Published by: Papieski Wydział Teologiczny
Keywords: nation; state; personalism; person; community; politics; John Paul II; Karol Wojtyła; Jacques Maritain; the Second Vatican Council

Summary/Abstract: The concept of the nation in Karol Wojtyła's (John Paul II's) thought was the result not only of his academic work, but also of his own cultural, historical and social and political experiences. John Paul II enriched his experiences with in- tellectual insights. In this regard, he often drew from reflections of Jacques Maritain, under whose influence many countries in Europe, in the United States and in Latin America were. The latter's solutions in the field of social and political philosophy sig- nificantly influenced the decisions of the Second Vatican Council, of which he himself was a participant. It turns out that both intellectuals shared similar foundations for understanding the nation and its sustainability. First of all, they paid attention to the fundamental role of the human person. As a personal being, he or she enters into relationships with other people creating a community. The common good that every person should care for is an element that unites all people. According to Maritain, this unity is revealed in a category of ‘integral humanism', while John Paul II pointed to the ‘theory of participation'. Both agreed that the subjective dignity of people creating a national community is a foundation of a nation.

  • Issue Year: 27/2019
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 77-95
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Polish