Moral Absolutes: Tradition, Revision and Truth (The Michael J. McGivney Lectures of the John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family)

"A trenchant defence of the ideas that there areexceptionless moral norms...". Contents Foreword I. Foundations 1. Exceptionless moral norms: few but strategic 2. Witnessed to by faith 3. Part of the theology of human fulfillment 4. Rejected when human replaces divine providence 5. No narrowing of horizons 6. Choice, reflexivity, and proportionalism 7. Protecting changeless aspects of human fulfillment 8. Negative norms but positive and revelatory 9. Rejection: some motivations and implications II. Clarifications 1. Intrinsece mala: acts always wrong, but notby definition 2. Specified neither evaluatively nor physically / behaviorally 3. Opposed to reason and integral human fulfillment 4. Worse than suffering wrong 5. Proportionalist justifications: incoherent with rationallymotivated free choice 6. The central case: intentional harm, alwaysunreasonable 7. Deadly defense and death penalty: not necessarilyproportionalist III. Christian Witness 1. Free choice: a morally decisive reality 2. Evil: not to be chosen that good may come 3. Actions: morally specified by their objects(intentions) 4. Intending human harm: never acceptable for Godor man 5. Counterexamples 6. Responsibility for side effects: other principlesand norms IV. Challenge and Response 1. Contraception and the general denial of absolutes 2. Historical and ecclesiological skirmishes 3. The main action: in philosophical theology 4. Prudence misconceived: the absolutes aesthetically dissolved 5. A summary conclusion Index Moral Absolutes Sets Forth A Vigorous But Careful Critique Of Much Recent Work In Moral Theology. It Is Illustrated With Examples From The Most Controversial Aspects Of Christian Moral Doctrine, And A Frank Account Is Given Of The Roots Of The Upheaval In Roman Catholic Moral Theology In And After The 1960s. I. Foundations -- Ii. Clarifications -- Iii. Christian Witness -- Iv. Challenge And Response -- Index John Finnis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.