The Lyceum Institute is delighted to host Dr. Daniel De Haan (Frederick Copleston Senior Research Fellow & Lecturer in Philosophy & Theology in the Catholic Tradition Blackfriars and Campion Hall / Research Fellow, Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Oxford) for a colloquium presentation.
Lyceum Institute Colloquium
The Centrality of Noble Goods (Bona Honesta) for Human Flourishing
ABSTRACT: In this talk I present an account of noble goods (bona honesta) which situates them within a broadly Thomistic account of the natural law, human flourishing, and the virtues. This account of noble goods is elaborated within a developmental and phronetic approach to the natural law. We need to understand human flourishing as developmental consisting of distinct forms of flourishing within different developmental phases of human life (toddler, juvenile, adolescent, young adult, senescence, etc), which require developmentally inflected ways of identifying the precepts of the natural law, virtues, and noble goods. This approach to the natural law also differs from classical and new natural law, by maintaining that we practically receive culturally mediated moral endoxa of rules, goods, and virtues, which are thick concepts. Our practical and even theoretical reflection on why one’s moral inheritance is or is not true in various respects engenders the aspiration to practical wisdom, the virtue for discerning the natural law. Among the moral endoxa tested by this aspiration to practical wisdom are those concerning what goods are worthwhile in themselves, i.e., which are truly noble goods? In this talk I set out some criteria for answering this question and showing how noble goods partially constitute human flourishing.
This event is exclusive to registered Lyceum Institute members. The lecture will be made available to the public approximately one calendar year from now. Our Q&A session will be held on 28 June 2024 at 10am ET (see event times around the world here).
One response
Questions 1. When we say virtues are we focused on a core set of virtues or all 49 listed in the Summa? what are the key virtues to practice for flourishing? 2. use of the term “Affiliations” why ? why not “relationships” or “deep relationships” – I believe we have more “affiliations” now than ever in the history of mankind but less “deep” relationships which really matter. 3. How do we fend off the violations of natural law with the whole acceptance of a large part of our society of the “trans” movement? Can and should we redefine natural law to be more clear and crisper than ever as to highlight the absurdities to what people are doing to our children in the trans movement? 4. Where is the human heart and our higher sentiments in the model/formula? 5. How do we handle “rules” like government rules and regulations that we believe are against natural law or the virtues or noble goods but we must comply with them ? what do we call the rules that fall into this category ? How do we break through the issue of having to comply yet still wanting to flourish as a free and noble human being? – Great topic , chart and approach to the topic – thank you.