Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck

2021
 |  Christian ethics
Wealth, Virtue, and Moral Luck

Author: Kate Ward

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

ISBN: 9781647121389

Category: Christian ethics

Page: 278

View: 628

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"In this book, Kate Ward addresses the issue of inequality from the perspective of Christian virtue ethics. Her unique contribution is to argue that moral luck, our individual life circumstances, affects one's ability to pursue virtue. She argues that economic status functions as moral luck and impedes the ability of both the wealthy and the impoverished to pursue virtues such as prudence, justice, and temperance. The book presents social science evidence that inequality reduces empathy for others' suffering, and increases violence, fear, and the desire to punish others. For the wealthy, inequality creates "hyperagency" - abundant freedom, power, and choice beyond that enjoyed by other members of society. For the poor, scarcity of time, money, and other important goods can also impair their ability to pursue virtue. Having established the theological harm caused by inequality, Ward then makes the argument that both individual Christians and Christian communities have obligations to address the impact of inequality. As individuals, Christians should pursue what Ward calls encounter, conversion, and contentment. Encounter means genuinely reaching out to the less fortunate and spending enough time to get to know individuals as human beings. For Ward, conversion means informing oneself about the realities of poverty and inequality. Contentment means being satisfied with one's position and not striving for more material wealth. Christian communities, in Ward's view, have obligations to pursue political action, tithing, and aid, and to foster encounters in parishes and educational settings"--

Growing in Virtue

2023-03-01
 |  Philosophy
Growing in Virtue

Author: William C. Mattison III

Publisher: Georgetown University Press

ISBN: 9781647123291

Category: Philosophy

Page: 332

View: 410

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A compelling analysis tying the work of Aquinas to contemporary literature on virtue Despite heightened attention to virtue, contemporary philosophical and theological literature has failed to offer detailed analysis of how people attain and grow in the good habits we know as the virtues. Though popular literature provides instruction on attaining and growing in virtue, it lacks careful scholarly analysis of what exactly these good habits are in which we grow. Growing in Virtue is the only comprehensive account of growth in virtue in the thought of Thomas Aquinas. Mattison offers a robust account of habits, including what habits are, why they are needed, and what they supply once possessed. He draws on Aquinas to carefully delineate the commonalities and differences between natural (acquired) virtues and graced (infused) virtues. Along the way, Mattison discusses the distinction between disposition and habit; the role of “custom” in virtue formation; the nature of virtuous passions; the distinct contribution of the gifts of the Holy Spirit to graced life; explanations for persistent activity after the loss of virtue; and the possibility of coexistence of the infused and acquired virtues in the same person. For readers interested in virtue and morality from a philosophical perspective and scholars of theological ethics and moral theology in particular, Mattison offers compelling arguments from the work of Aquinas explicitly connected to contemporary scholarship in philosophical virtue ethics.

Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching

 |  Religion
Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching

Author: Kevin Ahern

Publisher: Liturgy Training Publications

ISBN: 9781618333360

Category: Religion

Page: 192

View: 311

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Catholic social teaching guides us in how we are to live the Gospel in today’s world. Liturgy forms us in these teachings and sends us out into the world to give witness to the Gospel. Organized by the seven themes of Catholic social teaching as developed by the United States bishops, this resource explores the intimate connection between liturgy and Catholic social teaching. It provides insights for parish teams on how Catholics might better live what it is we celebrate each time we gather to worship God and express more fully, consciously, and actively what it means to be in right relationship with God and the world. With questions for discussion and reflection following each thematic chapter, worship teams, parish councils, and peace and justice committees will be able to evaluate and improve parish liturgical practices and ministerial outreach as rooted in Catholic social teaching. With penitential services organized by each of the seven themes, this resource also provides parishioners with the means to examine their own consciences, make acts of reparation, and resolve to be more committed to following the teachings of the Church. "Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching" resource is sure to help build a world that more closely reflects the love and mercy, justice, and peace of God.

Applied Ethics

1994
 |  Applied ethics
Applied Ethics

Author: Larry May

Publisher:

ISBN: 0130688428

Category: Applied ethics

Page: 553

View: 664

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This anthology and introductory text integrates multicultural perspectives to the discussion of current ethical problems. Among the problems discussed are human rights and justice, environmental ethics, hunger and poverty, war and violence, gender roles, racial and ethnic discrimination, abortion, euthanasia, and technology. Two essays introduce the application of multiculturalism to ethics, and vice versa. Both classic readings and contemporary essays are included. No index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Harmony of Goodness

1996
 |  Religion
The Harmony of Goodness

Author: Mary Beth Ingham

Publisher:

ISBN: UVA:X002753107

Category: Religion

Page: 159

View: 752

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In The Harmony of Goodness, Mary Beth presents the ethical vision of John Duns Scotus (1265-1308) in an integrated manner, bringing together aspects of virtue, moral reasoning, free choice, rational judgment, and spirituality as parts of a whole human life. As Ingham writes, "My own reading of Scotus has been informed by his concern to speak of the morally good act as a beautiful work of art, and of the moral agent as a formed artist. I examine the moral philosophy of John Duns Scotus as if it were a wind chime: composed of several independent elements, all interrelated in such a way that their mutual interaction produces the harmony which is goodness" (Introduction, xiv). This work examines the ethical thought of Scotus according to his notion of mutuality or relationship. It is this basic concept, and not freedom, which offers a fruitful avenue for discovery of the contemporary relevance of this Franciscan philosopher-theologian. This study brings to light Scotus' integrated vision of human moral living.

Adam Smith

2017
 |  Philosophy
Adam Smith

Author: Eric Schliesser

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 9780190690120

Category: Philosophy

Page: 433

View: 847

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Eric Schliesser's Adam Smith is the product of two decades' reflection by the author on the great Scottish Enlightenment. Unique among treatments of Adam Smith, Schliesser's book treats him as a systematic philosopher. Smith was a giant of the Scottish Enlightenment with polymath interests; Schliesser thus explores Smith's economics and ethics in light of his other commitments on the nature of knowledge, the theory of emotions, the theory of mind, his account of language, the nature of causation, and his views on methodology. He places Smith's ideas in the context of a host of other philosophers, especially Hume, Rousseau, and Newton; and he draws on the reception of Smith's ideas by Sophie de Grouchy, Mary Wollstonecraft, and other philosophers and economists to sketch the elements of, and the detailed connections within, Smith's system. Adam Smith traces the outlines of Smith's intellectual system and situates it in the context of his highly developed views on the norms that govern responsible speech. In particular, the book articulates Smith's concerns about the impact of his public policy recommendations, especially on the least powerful in society. In so doing, Schliesser offers new interpretations of Smith's views on the invisible hand, the Wealth of Nations, his treatment of virtue, the nature of freedom, the individual's relationship to society, his account of the passions, the moral roles of religion, and his treatment of the role of mathematics in economics. While the book does offer a single argument, it is organized in a modular fashion and includes a helpful index; readers with a more focused interest in Smith's achievements can skip to their section of interest.

Franciscan Studies

1992
 |  Franciscans
Franciscan Studies

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN: UCAL:B4448880

Category: Franciscans

Page: 538

View: 431

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Issues for 1941-44 include the Report of the 23rd-26th annual meeting of the Franciscan Educational Conference.

Gospels of Wealth

1994
 |  Business & Economics
Gospels of Wealth

Author: Paul G. Schervish

Publisher: Praeger Pub Text

ISBN: UOM:39015033985022

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 312

View: 624

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There is fascination and suspicion about the wealthy. Yet there is a dearth of material in which the wealthy speak for themselves about the meaning of their lives. Gospels of Wealth provides such narrative material. This book is a novel venture in social science. It is the first book to have a broad range of wealthy individuals recount their lives in detail, and, importantly, the first to formulate a sociology of wealth that goes beyond conventional, power-elite, Marxist, and status-group theories. The book's theoretical framework and first-person accounts will appeal to general readers as well as researchers in sociology, American studies, philanthropy, economic life, and cultural studies.

The Virtues of Limits

2021-12-15
 |  Philosophy
The Virtues of Limits

Author: David McPherson

Publisher: Oxford University Press

ISBN: 9780192664679

Category: Philosophy

Page: 176

View: 858

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Human beings seek to transcend limits. This is part of our potential greatness, since it is how we can realize what is best in our humanity. However, the limit-transcending feature of human life is also part of our potential downfall, as it can lead to dehumanization and failure to attain important human goods and to prevent human evils. Exploring the place of limits within a well-lived human life this work develops and defends an original account of limiting virtues, which are concerned with recognizing proper limits in human life. The limiting virtues that are the focus are humility, reverence, moderation, contentment, neighborliness, and loyalty, and they are explored in relation to four kinds of limits: existential limits, moral limits, political limits, and economic limits. These virtues have been underexplored in discussions about virtue ethics, and when they have been explored it has not been with regard to the general issue of the place of limits within a well-lived human life. The account of the limiting virtues provided here, however, is intended as a counter to other prominent approaches to ethics: namely, autonomy-centered approaches and consequentialist (or maximizing) approaches. This account is also used to address a number of important contemporary issues such as genetic engineering, distributive justice, cosmopolitanism vs. patriotism, and the ethical status of growth-based economics.

Handbook of Administrative Ethics

1994
 |  Political Science
Handbook of Administrative Ethics

Author: Terry L. Cooper

Publisher: Marcel Dekker Incorporated

ISBN: UOM:49015002336692

Category: Political Science

Page: 585

View: 218

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Delineating implications for administrative ethics from other fields such as sociology, psychology, and philosophy, this state-of-the-art reference/text provides a comprehensive review of administrative ethics in the public sector - tracing the treatment of ethics in public administration literature from the late nineteenth century to the present. Detailing the context within which contemporary ethics training has developed, the Handbook of Administrative Ethics recommends useful research techniques for generating various categories of knowledge concerning administrative ethics . . . examines the effectiveness of ethics training and legal and organizational devices for encouraging desired conduct . . . creates a taxonomy for administrative ethics using the categories of modern philosophy . . . discusses the origins of the term "public interest" . . . analyzes deontological and teleological approaches to administrative ethics oriented toward duty to principle . . . focuses on the ethical dimensions of organizational culture and the conflicts between culture and ethical conduct . . . investigates topics of particular relevance to the political and social contexts of public administration in the United States . . . and more. Written by over 25 leading scholars in public administration ethics, the Handbook of Administrative Ethics is a valuable reference for public administrators, political scientists, and scholars in other fields concerned with professional ethics such as biomedical and legal ethics, and an essential text for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in departments of public administration, political science, government, and social work.