A Free Society Reader rises to the challenge of freedom in the twenty-first century, offering thoughts and insights with significant implications for citizens of today's brand new world. Our era's most prominent figures in the fields of Christianity and liberty speak about Pope John Paul II's vision of a free society, conceptualize Christianity and political economy, debate issues of democracy and the free society, and question the role of culture. Together for the first time in one volume, these preeminent thinkers provide inspiration and insight to scholars, students, and general readers charting the enormous changes the new millennium has seen.

The achievements of John Paul II in recent years cannot be overstated. Led by this man and his profound contribution to Catholic social thought, the Catholic Church has become the world's single greatest voice for democracy and human rights. Protestants, too, have found in Pope John Paul II a brave and steadfast Christian pastor. Few people, however, know the Pope's background or the philosophy behind his thinking. Written by Rocco Buttiglione, one of the Pope's closest friends and counselors, this volume is the standard work for all who want to understand the philosophical mind of Karol Wojtyla, the man who became Pope John Paul II. Based on an accurate reading of all of Wojtyla's works and of all relevant secondary literature, this English edition of Buttiglione's book provides a complete introduction to the Pope's philosophy and his original contribution to the philosophy of freedom. The early chapters give biographical information on Wojtyla and examine his early philosophical formation. The middle chapters explore in depth two of the Pope's central philosophical and theological conceptions--human love and the acting person. The closing chapters look at Wojtyla's role at the Second Vatican Council, examine his poetic works, and place his thought in dialogue with contemporary philosophy. New to this English edition of Buttiglione's work are a foreword by Michael Novak, an appendix published for the third edition of The Acting Person, and an afterword that updates the book with a survey of secondary literature on the Pope's thought published between 1982 and 1996.

Gibt es eine Wahrheit, die es verdient, als objektive Wahrheit bezeichnet zu werden? Heute wird das oft bestritten. Mussen wir uns also mit einem grenzenlosen Zweifel abfinden - ohne Hoffnung, unser Leben an der Wahrheit ausrichten zu koennen? Andererseits erscheint es uns oft so, dass wir die ganze Wahrheit zu besitzen glauben, und dann mit restloser Gewissheit und uneingeschranktem Anspruch meinen, uber sie verfugen zu koennen. Wir sind im Alltag also entweder Skeptiker - oder Dogmatiker. Dieses Buch versucht, vor dem Hintergrund der Wahrheitsfrage die Lage des Menschen zu schildern: Er strebt nach Wahrheit, beruhrt sie bisweilen auch, kann sich ihrer aber doch nie endgultig bemachtigen. Wahrheit hat eine objektive und eine subjektive Seite. Sie gewinnt Gestalt im Menschen - als Person. Was bedeutet das fur unser Leben, unsere UEberzeugungen, unseren Glauben? Und was heisst das fur die Politik: Fordert Demokratie die Ausklammerung der Wahrheitsfrage? Der Herausgeber Christoph Boehr ist Professor fur Philosophie an der Hochschule Heiligenkreuz/Wien.