Trickle-Down Morality: JD Vance - From Hierarchy to Hierocles
"In every age, it has been the tyrant who has wrapped himself in the cloak of patriotism, or religion, or both." — Eugene V. Debs
The American principle of separation of church and state is now more of a nostalgic ideal than a reality. Always under strain, it has been dismissed entirely as the authoritarian Trump administration openly leverages the reach, funds, and power of right-wing evangelical Christian nationalism.
This came to the fore recently when Vice President JD Vance invoked theology to justify the Trump administration's racist and nationalist immigration policies. In an unprecedented papal intervention, Pope Francis promptly rebuked him in a letter to US Bishops criticising mass deportations. I'm no religious scholar, but I understand that being publicly corrected by the Pope ranks highly in the "Bad Catholic" stakes.
Here's Vance's theological justification for nationalism delivered on Fox News:
"There is an old school – and I think it's a very Christian concept – You love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritise the rest of the world."
JD Vance
And Pope Francis' unequivocal rejection:
"Christian love is not a concentric expansion of interests that little by little extend to other persons and groups. The true ordo amoris that must be promoted is that which we discover by meditating constantly on the parable of the 'Good Samaritan'—that is, by meditating on the love that builds a fraternity open to all, without exception."
Pope Francis, letter to US bishops
The contradiction between Vance's nationalist theology and Gospel attitudes such as the Parable of the Samaritan was also noted by former UK politician Rory Stewart, prompting Vance to double down on his views.
But when Vance asks, "Does anyone actually believe we have equal moral duties to everyone?" the answer is yes—and not just from a Christian perspective. Even the American Founding Fathers rejected his hierarchical worldview.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence
Vance's interpretation would be more at home in Orwell's Animal Farm:
"All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."
— George Orwell, Animal Farm
Ordo Amoris: The Theological Misuse of a Hierarchy of Love
Vance refers to an extreme "America First" nationalist reinterpretation of the doctrine of ordo amoris—the "order of love."
The term originates with Augustine of Hippo, who, in The City of God and Confessions, argued that proper love must be ordered toward God first, followed by love of self and others. Love that is disordered—where self-interest or material wealth takes priority over higher virtues—leads to moral corruption. However, Augustine never endorsed the idea that citizenship dictates moral worth. Instead, he merely acknowledged that proximity affects practical responsibility:
"All men are to be loved equally. But since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special regard to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstance, are brought into closer connection with you."
— Augustine of Hippo, On Christian Doctrine
He wasn't saying that an American citizen is ipso facto more worthy of care than a starving refugee half a world away—just that your neighbour is more immediately reachable. In today's globalised world, that argument holds far less weight.
Thomas Aquinas, in Summa Theologica, systematised Augustine's ordo amoris within a medieval hierarchy of being, but he made one crucial caveat:
"This may vary according to the various requirements of time, place, or matter in hand: because in certain cases, one ought, for instance, to succor a stranger in extreme necessity, rather than one's own father, if he is not in such urgent need."
— Thomas Aquinas
This directly contradicts Vance's evangelical-nationalist interpretation, which seeks to prioritise citizens over foreigners on principle rather than based on need.
Trickle-Down Morality: When Hoarding Becomes Virtue
Following the slap-down from the pope, various conservative and evangelical republicans sought to defend Vance as having a better understanding of Catholic Christian creeds than the Pope. Their hierarchical nationalist distortion of ordo amoris is perfectly illustrated by this Texan conservative podcaster's defence of Vance's worldview:
"An American traveling for business can give alms to a stranger in Argentina. The act is perfectly Christian if done with the proper intention to honor God. The alms would be immoral, however, if that money prevented him from paying the mortgage on his family home."
Dr. Taylor Marshall
This is trickle-down morality. The idea that moral obligations only extend outward after self-interest has been satisfied. The problem? There is no cap—just as wealth hoarded at the top in trickle-down economics never "flows down", moral responsibility, under this logic, is indefinitely deferred.
If it's immoral to feed a starving refugee because you could have spent that money on your mortgage, does that also apply to your second home?
To a golf course?
To Mar-a-Lago?
Once you understand this proudly selfish point of view, arguing that it’s immoral to help others in need when you might have spent it on yourself or your family, so much of the Morality of the ‘Christian’ Right suddenly comes into focus.
From Hierarchy to Hierocles: The Stoic Alternative
The circles of Heirocles, or 'circles of concern', express Stoic cosmopolitanism through concentric circles in the context of oikeiôsis.
Like Vance, Hierocles describes individuals as having layers of concern, starting with the mind, then immediate family, extended family, local community, neighbouring towns, country, and finally, humanity. (Modern Stoics Kai Whiting and Leonidas Konstantakos add a circle for the environment to indicate our responsibility as part of nature)
At first glance, these may seem similar, except our task, Hierocles explains, is to narrow these circles, expanding our care to include all people.
"Hierocles thought that we should aim at contracting the circles, bringing other people closer to us because we realise that they are our own kin. The closer we get them to us, the more the self/other dichotomy dissolves, and the more our interests align with those of our community."
— Massimo Pigliucci, AEON
Christianity echoes this idea in the Parable of the Good Samaritan,—which the Pope referenced in response to Vance - and the idea of the brotherhood of man, and the definition of who is your ‘neighbour’.
There’s a Special Place Saved in Hell
I'm not a theologian or religious, but I find an interesting juxtaposition to Vance's Ordo Amoris in Dante's circles of Hell. Where the Christian God is put at the centre of the Ordo Amoris, Satan is at the centre of Hell, and each descending tier, each new circle of Hell, is graded according to the seriousness of the sin of the souls trapped there.
The poet Virgil has led Dante through the first eight circles of Hell - Among other categories; they have passed untortured virtuous pagans, the lustful, gluttons, the avaricious, Heretics trapped in burning tombs and corrupt politicians boiling in pitch when they come to the ninth circle of Hell.
They have reached the lowest circle, where the worst sinners in Hell - the traitors and the treacherous, these disciples of Judas, are frozen up to their necks in Lake Cocytus, where Dante interrogates them.
"You don't need to say another word, you vile traitor! Now that I know who you are, I'm going to tell everyone I can about your more-than-wicked treachery so that you can feel the shame of it even more!
"Get away from me!" he shrieked. "Say what you want, I could care less! But on the off chance that you do get out of this place, make sure you tell everyone about that blabbering fool stuck down here with us. That's Buoso, and he's here because he accepted the French bribe and betrayed his own troops. And I'll tell you even more: If you want to know who else is here, the one right next to you is Beccheria. You Florentines sawed his head off! And then there's Gianni Soldianier, the deserter. You'll find him over there with Ganelon, who betrayed Roland, and Tebaldello, who opened Faenza's gates to her enemies while everyone slept." -
Dante INFERNO, CANTO 32
In the quote above - Dante interrogates Bocca Degli Abati - a Florentine who pretended to be on one side in a battle, then used the deception to cut off the arm of that side's standard bearer - who waved flags to signal orders - this meant a loss of signal communication with the troops, including members of Dante’s family - who were put into disarray and lost the battle.
That vile treachery has a direct parallel in the Trump administration - Elon Musk at one time pretended to be supporting Ukraine, providing communications technology they became dependent on - then, after a phone call with Putin, Musk killed Ukrainian satellite communications in order to scupper a naval attack. I covered this in "King of the World" - Musk as the sovereign individual, unilaterally changing the course of wars without democratic accountability.
Also frozen in Hell is Buoso da Durea. Buoso was paid by the son of Emperor Fredrick to block the advancing French army at a particular Mountain pass -However, when the French arrived, he accepted a bribe to let them pass through. The US have commitments to support Ukraine and NATO allies - Trump appears ready to throw that allegiance under the bus in order to carve up Ukraine with Putin for profit.
The final traitor referenced is Tebaldello de'Zambrasi—a betrayer of refugees. There were refugees in his city - the Lambertazzi - and Tebaldello had a petty argument with them over pigs. In petulant revenge, he opened the city gates and let in their enemies to slaughter them.
I’m not religious, but for those who are it should give them pause that these ‘Christian’ Nationalists commit sins that match those saved for the circle of hell furthest from God.
Character Assassination
"What isn't good for the hive isn't good for the bee."
Marcus Aurelius
Vance's worldview, morality of proximity, is the central conceit at the heart of all nationalism. Nationalism is, by definition, divisive: just as the state is by its nature coercive. But while Trump, Vance and Musk think they are harming only others - they are also hurting themselves, destroying their character, virtue and more.
Looking at the circles of concern - the mechanics of the circles of humanity are the same as with the circle modern Stoics add - the environment. Fossil Fuel executives think they are benefiting themselves by destroying the environment because doublethink allows them not to realise that they also rely on and are part of the environment.
Trump, Vance, and Musk think they will benefit themselves by prioritising their American Elite over the faceless masses they can dismiss as 'out of sight and out of mind'.
That approach rarely ends well.
Notes
Marshall, T. (2025, January). JD Vance and Thomas Aquinas on ordo amoris. Taylor Marshall. https://taylormarshall.com/2025/01/jd-vance-and-thomas-aquinas-on-ordo-amoris.html
Augustine of Hippo. (n.d.). On Christian doctrine in four books: Chapter 29 – Further, all men are to be loved equally. Bible Hub. https://biblehub.com/library/augustine/on_christian_doctrine_in_four_books/chapter_29_further_all_men.htm
Great Chain of Being. (2015, September 2). The great chain. WordPress. https://greatchainofbeing.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/the-great-chain/
Pigliucci, M. (n.d.). When I help you, I also help myself: On being a cosmopolitan. Aeon. https://aeon.co/ideas/when-i-help-you-i-also-help-myself-on-being-a-cosmopolitan
Minerva Wisdom. (2019, April 16). Aquinas and the ladder of being. Minerva Wisdom. https://minervawisdom.com/2019/04/16/aquinas-and-the-ladder-of-being/
National Archives. (n.d.). The Declaration of Independence: Full text. U.S. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
Excellent and timely piece. Related supplemental reading: "Loathe thy neighbor: Elon Musk and the Christian right are waging war on empathy" - https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/apr/08/empathy-sin-christian-right-musk-trump
A good read, thank you. I had similar thoughts re: Vance's bastardization of Augustine and Augustine basically repeating Hierocles-with-the-serial-numbers-filed-off. I know that in my readings of oikeiôsis the final circle was always considered "the Gods and Nature" (most probably from a reading of Cicero) so I always felt that the popular portrayals of that paradigm were particularly secularized and human-centric. I don't disagree with Whiting & Konstantakos at all in their position of the natural world ("Stoic Theology" was a great paper, in my opinion), but it's sad that we have to make the argument for Stoics to care about the wider world around them.