Maritain, Jacques

Abstract

This entry presents the background and core principles of the ethics of Jacques Maritain (1882–1973), as well as his contribution to twentieth‐century human rights theory. Maritain was one of the leading Catholic philosophers of the twentieth century, and an influential figure in the development and propagation of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948. While Maritain's views were inspired by the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, he extended Aquinas’ views in sometimes controversial ways. He provides a robust version of natural law theory, seeking to explain both the source of knowledge of natural law, and the variation in moral knowledge across cultures. This theory, together with his distinction between the person and the individual, allows Maritain to provide an account that avoids conflicts between human rights and social duties. Despite its controversial character, Maritain's defense of social rights and workers’ rights as part of human rights had a significant impact in his time, and continues to be employed by scholars today.