On Dignity and Dependence, by Francis X. Maier

The philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, who died this past spring, is best remembered for his book After Virtue (1981).  But his book Dependent, Rational Animals (1999) is a work of equal value.  In it, he argued that dependence on others is hardwired into the human experience.  We’re not interchangeable creatures.  We have different strengths and weaknesses, skills and deficiencies. And our dependence is not a design flaw of our species, but a feature.

We were made to need each other.  Our personal autonomy can grow with knowledge and experience.  But it will always be limited.  Thus, a just society is marked by a realistic understanding of each other’s different needs, and a generous, mutual self-giving to meet those needs. …

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