Religion & Democracy ConferenceKEYNOTE ADDRESS
"Dark Maritain: The Postliberal Alternative to Integralism"
Speaker: Kevin Vallier, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toledo
Abstract: Catholics and Christians increasingly explore anti-liberal politics. Yet many anti-liberal theories offer more rhetoric than substance. This paper examines Catholic postliberalism, seeking a more coherent version than currently offered.
I propose to find an attractive postliberal Catholic politics in an unlikely place—the thought of Jacques Maritain. I develop Dark Maritainianism, which combines Maritain's principles of church–state relations with a clear-eyed assessment of how sin distorts moral knowledge in public life. Catholic integralism—a position that subordinates the state to Church authority based on the primacy of the spiritual—contrasts with Dark Maritainianism. My approach denies this subordination is necessary.
Rather than pursuing distant ideals, Dark Maritainianism emphasizes incremental improvements through reforms guided by Catholic principles. For instance, in education policy, it would advocate reforms that allow public funding for diverse faith-based institutions while maintaining academic standards—honoring religious freedom and parental primacy while acknowledging the state's legitimate interest in forming capable citizens. Such reforms remain sensitive to social complexity and to the corrupting effects of sin on moral knowledge. Dark Maritainianism offers a more theoretically coherent and practically viable path forward for Catholic political engagement. It satisfies those exploring alternatives to liberalism through more theoretically satisfying and politically concrete solutions.
Originally published at philreligion.nd.edu.