Abstract / DOI
A Plea for the Absolute: Re-Reading Joseph Ratzinger’s «Values in a Time of Upheaval». The Re-Reading of Ratzinger’s «Values in a Time of Upheaval» shows that many of the trends described at the time have intensified by now: relativism as a basic intellectual attitude in liberal democracy, a content-emptied, purely subject-centered concept of freedom, the displacement of the common Christian heritage in the EU in favor of a focus on economic goals. Since the book was published, the influence of postmodern thinking has created new heights in the problem, such as the questioning of universalism or the unity of the subject. Ratzinger’s plea for a return to Christian-based values as a way out of the crisis is likely to meet with increasing opposition. However, this must not be a sufficient counter-argument unless truth is equated with consensus.