Developing Distinctions of Classical Principles for Modern Constitutions: Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy by Fr. Thomas Crean and Alan Fimister

Abstract

Father Thomas Crean and Alan Fimister have produced a comprehensive yet concise treatise on classical political and legal philosophy in Integralism: A Manual of Political Philosophy. As the title implies the hallmark of their approach is that jurisprudence, political philosophy, moral philosophy, and theology are not separate disciplines but integrally related. Their exposition and arguments move seamlessly among theology, philosophy, and jurisprudence. The second characteristic of Crean and Fimister’s work is how they interweave within a classical reading of Aristotle and St. Thomas several intriguing developments of the classical principles. They advance interesting distinctions and developments with respect to: whether civil nations can be perfect societies; the role of the Church in declaring a human law null and void under natural law; the removal of tyrants and usurpers; the classification of constitutional regimes, and separation of powers.

Keywords

• natural law
• regime types
• usurpers
• tyrants
• christendom
• relation of church and state
• integralism