The essay examines the function of values in the perspective of the construction of the Common Good and in particular with regard to the strengthening of social ties. The essay takes account of Carl Schmitt’s thesis on the “tyranny of values” and revisits it in the light of Ernst Wolfgang Böckenförde’s reflections on the “binding forces” that form the basis of the liberal state. Through the comparison with the essay on The formation of the state as a process of secularisation, with Jurgen Habermas’ critique and then with Jacqueline Morineau’s proposal of Humanistic Mediation, the essay examines the thesis according to which “values” can also represent a real point of convergence between citizens, provided they are brought into focus through “practical” processes aimed at resolving conflicts, and not only through theoretical-foundational discussions.
