Work, The Common Good, and The Human Person

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Wednesday, July 19, 2023 8:00 am

In episode 2, we are joined by Fr. Justin Brophy, OP ‘06, ‘17, ‘20 a professor of political science at Providence College. Fr. Justin’s work follows the ancient definition of politics, thinking about the human person in a community. He’s concerned with questions of flourishing, justice, and happiness.

We discuss ideas about work as a means to an end vs. the potential of work to display the human person. We think deeply about the ways work has changed over time, and the current focus on fast production over craftsman goods. We question whether this cheapening of the objects around us is dehumanizing. 

We then ask how work might be essential to a flourishing life. Fr. Justin is particularly concerned with how technology is shaping our relationships with others and ourselves, so we dig into how to use technology well. The modern condition is full of tensions and unease, how do we live well within that? Catholicism gives us a blueprint to be pilgrim people, and we think about how to enact that in the modern world. 

Note: This episode was recorded during the 2022 football season. 

The Ethics at Work Podcast is edited and produced by Nat Todaro and Megan Levis. To learn more about the ethics at work project you can find us at ethicsatwork.nd.edu.

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Meet the Speaker: Fr. Justin Brophy, OP '06, '17, '20

I am Assistant Professor of Political Science at Providence College. My interests are in political theory, broadly conceived. The questions that have always driven my passion for philosophy are: “Who am I?,” “What does it mean to be human?,” and “What is the nature of human freedom?”

My teaching and research interests include Ancient and Contemporary Political Theory, Philosophical Conceptions of the Human Psyche, the Human Psyche and Modern Society, Plato, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, and Philosophy of Psychoanalysis. I seek to explore the questions surrounding modern identity and the concept of authenticity. In order to best answer my questions about human existence, I draw also from the riches of the modern Catholic intellectual tradition, especially Romano Guardini, Josef Pieper, Henri De Lubac, Gabriel Marcel, Walker Percy, and Tomáš Halík.

My current projects are focused around the political significance of Plato’s Symposium and its reception by late Modern thinkers, especially Freud, Nietzsche, and Kierkegaard.

I am an active preacher. Over the course of the past few years I have given talks or retreats at the University of Maryland Catholic Center, Dartmouth College, Boston University, University of Notre Dame Law School, and the Diocese of Providence.

A native of Northern New Jersey, I am a fan of the New York Mets, New York Giants, and, perhaps ironically, the New Jersey Devils. Most of all, I am an avid follower of all Notre Dame sports, especially Irish football. I also bowl competitively, both in league and tournament play, and am eagerly striving for that 300 game. I am a Level I certified coach by the United States Bowling Congress.

How to Engineer for the Common Good?

A big question that many engineering students ask is, ‘how can I engineer for good?’ Catholic Social Teaching (CST) proposes a way to begin thinking about individual and common goods, especially for those with tech careers.

Additional Resources

The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han

Philosopher of the Heart by Clare Carlisle to dig deeper into the topics we chatted about today.

Megan and Fr.Justin met at a book club where they read Walter Percy’s Lost in the Cosmos they recommend you read it with anyone you want to become great friends with. 

Podcasts Fr. Justin recommends:

Honestly with Barry Weiss: https://www.honestlypod.com/

On Being with Krista Tippett: https://onbeing.org/series/podcast/