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  5. Subproject: Theological perspectives on meaningful family life

Moral Compass Project

How do we know what the Good is? Is there such a thing as a ‘moral compass’ that all people share? The needle of a compass points to the north pole, but you can't reach the pole with it. Can the Good also be seen as such a pole? As something that speaks to us 'from the outside,' inescapably? The Good appeals to us in a way that gives us direction and encourages us to take concrete action. But that does not imply we are able to fully know or do the Good.

Subproject: Theological perspectives on meaningful family life

More than givenness

This subproject explores the question of the Good in the moral field of family. Family, on the one hand, is characterized by a strong givenness. More than other relationships, we see family as something we do not choose, but in which we find ourselves. Yet that given relationship is not thereby simply meaningful. Good living together appears to be something transcendent in the family as well, something that appeals to us, but which we cannot yet simply realize with that. So how can it still play a role in actual family life?

Philosophy and theology in dialogue with literature

The question of meaningful family life in the tension between givenness and transcendence is explored in conversation with various philosophers and theologians, and some literary works. They all illuminate a dimension of being human, relationships or the phenomenon of family. The literary works allow the often abstract philosophical and theological discussions to be related to ‘real life’ family situations.

Charity in family

The study begins with an analysis of the position of theological ethicist Brent Waters. This brings to light the urgency of properly clarifying the consequences of involving a transcendent Good for actually living together as a family here and now. The concept of neighbourly love then becomes the lens for further exploration of those consequences. Guiding texts here are Hannah Arendt's dissertation on Augustine and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Ethics. In these, neighbourly love is seen as both a divine gift and a free human act. This love is rooted in the human nature, which is characterized by a lack or deficiency and a longing for a transcendent sense or meaning.

To relate this notion of meaningful family life to the actual biological and social constructs of contemporary family life, theological ethicists Don S. Browning and Sandra Sullivan-Dunbar are consulted. Their work then shows the urgency of asking what is the potential for human autonomy in neighbourly love within the family.

Family relationships and autonomy

To better understand this autonomy in the family context, Jean-Paul Sartre's L'être et le néant is analysed. Sartre understands autonomy as something that takes shape in the tension between following earthly desires and reaching for something beyond. Sartre's notion of ‘shared action’ helps to understand the role of (family) relationships in unlocking the potential of human autonomy in an orientation towards transcendence. In this shared action, a ‘we’ can be experienced that is meaningful in a common orientation toward love. It can thus serve as a criterion for a meaningful family life.

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Further discussion?

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