Liberalism and the Theological Roots of Social Order

This essay investigates the theological roots of social order in the works of three liberal philosophers: Smith, Kant, and Rawls. Each of these philosophers, in a different way, has discussed the relation between the practical possibility of the ideal social order and theology. For Smith, the invisible hand leads the pursuit of individual self-interest to the common good (an ideal social order); But the invisible hand is a metaphorical concept, based on the divine plan for the world. Kant also presupposes the existence of God as a necessary condition for the practical possibility of the highest good (the compatibility of laws of nature and morality). Finally, Rawls connects the possibility of a well-ordered society (moral social order) to a special conception of divine nature and the specific type of relationship between human and God.