In the West, there is a growing perception of a rapidly accelerating crisis affecting multiple domains, including climate, geopolitics, economics, and social cohesion. To emphasise its multidimensional character, some scholars have referred to this situation as a polycrisis. Perhaps most concerning is the widespread perception that our conceptual tools are inadequate not only to resolve these problems but even to understand their nature.

When we struggle during periods of intense social and political turmoil and find that our capacities to respond are insufficient, it is worth returning to first principles and revisiting fundamental questions such as: What is human flourishing? How should one live well? What is right and wrong? Sensible political-philosophical reflection is possible only if these questions are taken seriously.

The Aristotelian ethical tradition offers invaluable insights into these questions, teaching us that human flourishing consists in actualising human potential in its multiple forms. A good society, on this basis, is one structured in such a way as to promote people’s flourishing. This ethical framework is critical for understanding contemporary society and identifying ways to improve it. We believe that the Aristotelian ethical tradition provides a necessary foundation for any grounded discussion in political philosophy that seeks to improve society.

Our aim is to develop a novel political philosophical narrative based on these ethical premises. In doing so, we seek creative new intellectual paths to be explored through communal and cooperative enquiry. This intellectual endeavour draws particular inspiration from the following traditions and thinkers:

• A special mention goes to Alasdair MacIntyre, one of the towering figures of contemporary ethics and political philosophy. MacIntyre was a member of CASEP in the past. During his time at CASEP, he wrote a research proposal aimed at developing a broad political-philosophical framework grounded in his ethical thought. The original draft of the research proposal can be seen here. MacIntyre passed away in 2025, leaving this project partially unfinished. One of CASEP’s aims is to draw inspiration from MacIntyre’s project and develop a novel political-philosophical framework that can speak to the challenges facing contemporary society.

• Classical Greek thought, chiefly Aristotle, whose work on ethics and politics provides the foundation for our approach, but also Plato and other ancient thinkers concerned with virtue, human flourishing, and the nature of the good political community.
• The Aristotelian tradition, especially Thomas Aquinas, but also contemporary figures such as Jacques Maritain, Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, and John Finnis. 
• Karl Marx, Marxism, and Critical Theory. We believe that the Marxist tradition offers invaluable resources for understanding capitalism, class relations, alienation, ideology, and social structure. In addition to Marx himself and Friedrich Engels, we draw inspiration from later Marxist and Marxist-influenced thinkers such as Georg Lukács, Antonio Gramsci, and Herbert Marcuse. Despite their considerable differences, these thinkers provide important resources for understanding the relationship between economic organisation, culture, ideology, human freedom, and flourishing.
• Non-Marxist socialist and social-democratic thought, including early socialist thinkers such as Henri de Saint-Simon, Robert Owen, and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, as well as Eduard Bernstein, R. H. Tawney, Karl Polanyi, G. D. H. Cole, Gunnar Myrdal, Ernst Wigforss, and Rudolf Meidner. These traditions offer important reflections on economic democracy, cooperation, social justice, community, and the institutional conditions required for people to flourish.
• Keynesian and social-democratic economics, including John Maynard Keynes, John Kenneth Galbraith, Gunnar Myrdal, Amartya Sen, and, more recently, Joseph Stiglitz. Their work provides important resources for thinking about the relationship between markets, public institutions, inequality, economic security, and human welfare.
• Communitarian and common-good political thought, including thinkers such as Charles Taylor, Michael Sandel, Michael Walzer, Amitai Etzioni, and David Miller. Despite important differences among these authors, their work challenges excessively individualistic understandings of society and emphasises the importance of community, social relationships, shared practices, civic responsibility, and the common good. This tradition provides important resources for considering how political institutions can foster social cohesion and create the conditions in which individuals and communities can flourish.
• Catholic Social Teaching and Christian social thought, beginning with the modern social teaching inaugurated by Leo XIII and developed by later figures such as Pius XI, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. We also draw inspiration from thinkers such as Jacques Maritain, Emmanuel Mounier, G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, and Dorothy Day, as well as from Christian socialism and Liberation Theology. These traditions provide particularly important reflections on the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, human dignity, work, property, community, and the social responsibilities associated with economic life.