Morality


"Only in freedom can we direct ourselves toward goodness."
Vatican II: Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, art. 17

General Theory
Social Morality
Sexual Morality
Medical Ethics
Business Ethics
Birth and Death Issues
Miscellaneous Links
Directories



GENERAL THEORY

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 3, Section 1 Articles: Man--The image of God. Our vocation to beatitude. Man's freedom. The morality of human acts. The morality of the passions. Moral conscience. The virtues. Sin. Participation in social life. Social Justice. The moral law. Grace and justification. The Church, mother and teacher.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part 3, Section 2 The Ten Commandments

Morality in the Catechism of the Catholic Church A Guide prepared by Gerald Darring.

The Splendor of Truth 1993 encyclical by Pope John Paul II: Veritatis Splendor

Veritatis Splendor: Sexuality, Justice, and Power A critique of the encyclical.

Roman Catholic Ethics: Three Approaches Article by Brian Berry in the March 1999 issue of Catholic Practice.

Probabilism: The Right to Know of Moral Options Chapter from a book by Philip S Kaufman, OSB, of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota

Christian Ethics in a Pluralistic Society: Towards a Theology of Compromise Article in Religion and Theology by Patrick J Hartin of the Religious Studies Department at Gonzaga University

Articles from Issues in Ethics, a publication of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University:
----------- What Is Ethics?
----------- Thinking Ethically
----------- Thinking Ethically: A Framework for Moral Decision Making
----------- A Framework for Ethical Decision Making
----------- Conscience and Authority
----------- Ethics and Virtue
----------- Ethical Relativism
----------- The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics
----------- The Horizon of Faith
----------- Lying
----------- Cheating Themselves
----------- Everyday Ethics: Morality Requires Regular Reflection
--------------on the Day-to-Day Decisions That Confront Us.


Ethics Updates Great source for ethical theory and applied ethics.

Articles from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia:
Ethics---------- Morality---------- Sin

Morality and Conscience Pastoral letter by Bishop John R. Keating of Arlington, Virginia.

The Seven Deadly Sins History and explanation of the list

Sin Mennonite Confesion of Faith; Article 7

Baltimore Catechism on the Commandments of God

World Scripture: Morality

Journal of Buddhist Ethics The first academic journal dedicated entirely to Buddhist ethics, and is innovative in adopting a totally electronic mode of publication.

A Guide to Moral Decision Making By Chris MacDonald, Ph.D.

Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science Research Ethics. Cases. Moral Leaders. Problems. Corporate Settings. Ethical Codes. Diversity. Essays. Education. Colloquia.

The Indispensability of Theological Meta-ethical Foundations for Morality William L. Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California

Media Ethics Online Links to various sites

The Jewish Ethics Challenge: Where Do You Stand? A wonderful set of ethical dilemmas, appropriate not just for Jews

Christian Theology and Morality Where Christian Theology and Morality rooted in the best of the past looks at contemporary problems ranging from human origins to birth control

Ecclesiology And Ethics In 1 Corinthians Article by Richard B. Hays in Ex Auditu

Conversion And Christian Ethics Article by James P. Hanigan in Theology Today, 1983

The Problem Of Ethics Today Article by Charles C. West in Theology Today, 1968

God and the Good: Does Morality Need Religion? Article by Kai Nielsen in Theology Today, 1964

The Decalogue As Morality and Ethics Article by Kenneth C. Bailey in Theology Today, 1963

Church and Ethical OrientationArticle by Werner Schwartz in Ecumenical Review, 1999. Moral formation in the People of God. Moral formation as a key concept in recent ecumenical texts.

Normative Ethics and Objective Reason Book edited by George F. McLean. Includes
1. Pragmatic Tests and Ethical Insights by Abraham Edel
2. Naturalism, Situation Ethics and Value Theory by Joseph Fletcher
3. The Character of Moral Reasoning by Vincent C. Punzo
4. Humanism and Ethics by Howard L. Parsons
5. Moral Agreement Under a Diversity of Values by Peter Caws
6. The Person, Moral Growth and Character Development by George F. McLean
7. The Foundations of Moral Judgment by David Schindler
8. The Human Good and Moral Choice by John Farrelly
9. What Makes the Human Person a Being of Moral Worth by William E. May
10. Reason as Norm by Vernon J. Bourke
11. A Contemporary Natural-Law Ethics by Germain G. Grisez
12. Ethics and Prudence by Patrick J. Coffey
13. Positive Law in Natural Law by John T. Noonan

Personalist Ethics and Human Subjectivity Book edited by George F. McLean. Includes
1. Affectivity: The Power Base of Moral Behavior by Sebastian A. Samay
2. A Phenomenology of Moral Sensibility: Moral Emotion by John D. Caputo
3. Conscience as Principle of Moral Action by Austin Fagothy
4. Aesthetic Sensitivity as Completion of Ethical Freedom by George F. McLean
5. Psychological and Psychosocial Factors in Ethical Commitment by William L. Kelly
6. Process Thought in Ethics by Eulalio R. Baltazar
7. Process and Normative Ethics by John B. Cobb
8. Ethics and Social Values: Scheler and Ricoeur by Robert D. Sweeney
9. Ethics and a Secular Christianity by Paul M. Van Buren
10. Absurdity versus Ambiguity: Reflections on the Ethical Views of Sartre and Camus by Joseph J. Kockelmans
11. The Ethical Person as Source of Religious Insight by Maurice Nédoncelle
12. On the Integrity of Morality in Relation to Religion by David Schindler
13. Is There a Christian Ethics? by James M. Gustafson
14. Ethics, Religion and Christian Faith by John B. Cobb
15. Ethics and Moral Theology by Charles Curran
16. Christianity and Moral Values: A Clarification of Their Status and Priority, Hierarchy and Application by Bernard Häring
Appendix: Contemplation as Fulfillment of the Human Person by Gerald F. Stanley

The Deficient Cause of Moral Evil According to Thomas Aquinas Book by Edward Cook

Love as the Horizon of Moral Education and Character Development Book edited by Kuis Ugalde, Nicolas Barros, George F. McLean. Includes
1. Moral Education and the Challenge of the 21st Century Luis Ugalde
2. Anthropological Perspective on Culture and Moral Education in a Critical Era José Luis Vethencourt
3. Moral Education and the Challenge of the 21st Century: An Interdisciplinary Perspective Luis Castro Leyva
4. Education and Moral Excellence: Human Fulfillment as the Fundamental Challenge of the XXIst Century Jose Maria Sanchez
5. Some Preliminary Considerations Respecting the Nature and Role of Education in Peaceful Development Henry C. Johnson, Jr.
6. The Social and Cultural Effects of Advertising Jeremiah O'Sullivan R.
7. The Christian Commandment of Love: the Realization of the Person and the Common Good Alberto Munera D.
8. Love and the Christian Development of Community Jose Ayestaran, S.J. 9. Moral Education as Human Fulfillment: the Fundamental Challenge of the 21st Century Nicolas Barros M.
10. The Person and Moral Growth: the Dynamic Interaction of Values and Virtues George F. McLean
11. Family Values in Venezuelan Urban Neighborhoods Alejandro Moreno O., S.D.B.
12. An Inquiry on Family Values in Venezuela Hector Rodriguez
13. Structures of Cognitive and Moral Development Anibal Puente
Note to Chapter 13. Structures of Cognitive Moral and Religious Development P. Luis Azagra, S.J.
14. An Evaluation of Cognitive Development and Moral Education Roberto Zapata G.
15. An Integrated Psychological Model of Moral Development and Gender Differences in Moral Education Mary Brabeck
16. Moral Development as the Nurturing of Moral Imagination: Moral Education and Cultural Inheritance, and the Transmission of Values Henry C. Johnson

Chinese Foundations for Moral Education and Character Development Book edited by Tran Van Doan, Vincent Shen, George F. McLean. Includes
1. The Metaphysical Foundations of Traditional Chinese Moral Education by Peter Kun-Yu Woo, National Taiwan Univ
2. Human Nature and Human Education: On Human Nature As Tending Toward Goodness in Classical Confucianism by Pei-Jung Fu, National Taiwan Univ.
3. Hsin-Techniques and Hsin-Leadership Psychological Aspects of Confucian Moral Philosophy by Hang Thaddeus T'ui-chieh, National Chengchi University
4. Developmental Psychology and Knowledge of Being by John Farrelly, St. Anselm's Abbey
5. The Person and Moral Growth by George F. McLean, CUA
6. Anthropological Foundation of Moral Education Responding to Rapid Technological Development by Vincent Shen, National Chengchi Univ.
7. The Ideological Education and Moral Education by Tran Van Doan, National Taiwan Univ.
8. Higher Moral Education in Taiwan by Arnold Sprenger, Fu Jen Univ.
9. In Defense of Character Development by Kevin Ryan, Boston Univ.

Liberalization and Transformation of Morality in Post-Communist Countries Book by Tadeusz Buksinski

Human Nature Reflected in Moral Experience by John Farrelly, De Salles Hall, Washington

The Concept of an Eco-ethics and the Development of Moral Thought by Tomonobu Imamichi, Emeritus, University of Tokyo

Self-Transcendence and Morality: Human Creativity in Nietzschean and Confucian Thought by Lik Kuen, Tong, Fairfield University, Conn

Principles of a Creative Morality by Eliot Deutsch, University of Hawaii

Morality and Public Life in a Time of Change Book edited by Vassil Prodanov, A Sen Davidov. Includes
1. Morality and Politics in a Changing World by Vassil Prodanov
2. Political Conformism in a Totalitarian-Bureaucratic Society by Alexandar Mirchev
3. Socialism and Modern Civilization: Old "Idols" and New Realities by Vassil Vichev
4. Moral Values and the Post-Cummunist Person by Kiril Neshev
5. Moral Values in the Field of Social Relations: The Objectivity of Values by Dimitar Georgiev
6. Values and Social Innovations in the Contemporary World by Maxim Lazarov
7. Dilemmas in Striving for Success: Social Achievement and Role Conflict by Alexander Marinov
8. Social Change and Moral Education by Emilia Marinova
9. The Moral Culture of the Person by Dimitar Stankov
Epilogue. The Guilty Spirit: Crossroads of the Post-totalitarian Intellectuals by Asen Davidov

Feminist Ethics at Thirty: A Retrospective Article by Michael E. Allsopp, Presentation College, Aberdeen, SD

A Trinitarian Moral Theology Anthony Kelly, CssR, in Studia Moralia, 2001

Conscience and the Teaching of the Magisterium on Morality Brian Lewis, retired professor of scripture, theology and ethics on campuses of the present Australian Catholic University

Russia on the Threshold: Orthodox Tradition and Protestant Ethics Leons Gabriel Taivans, Professor of Religious Studies and Church History at the University of Latvia, Riga

St. Augustine’s Free Will Theodicy and Natural Evil Robert Francis Allen, University of Detroit Mercy

EthicsWeb Applied ethics resources on WWW

Called to Be Holy: The Reconvergence of Christian Morality and Spirituality Michael K. Duffey, Marquette University, in Spirituality Today, 1986

Consequentialism William Haines, The University of Hong Kong

Cultural heritage and Contemporary Life: The Moral Continuum A. T. Dalfovo, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

The Poverty of Christian Individualist Morality and an African Alternative Theophilus Okere

Ethical Creativity in a Culture of Uneasy Religious Pluralism, Incomplete Democratization and Economic Injustice Martin Prozesky

The Nature And Role Of Applied Ethics In The Public Sector Nkosinathi Owen Sotshangane

The Relevance of African Ethics to the Contemporary African Society James. K. Kigongo

Morality and Social Transformation: Harmony, Evil and the Emergence of New Life Chapter 5 of Tradition, Harmony and Transcendence by George F. McLean

Values in Theology and Religious Education Joseph L. Roche, S.J.

Moral Development and Economic Ethics Richard A. Graham

Making Religion Ethical: The Value Orientation of Religion in Contemporary Society Huang Songjie

Ethics and Life Isabel (Carmelo Rosa) Renaud

The Autonomy of Ethics and of the Moral Subject Tadeusz Styczen

The Positivist Tradition in Czech Ethics Chapter 11 of Czech Philosophy in the XXth Century, edited by Lubomr Nový, Ji Gabriel andJaroslav Hroch

The Status of Principles in Confucian Ethics A.S. Cua

Morality and Ethics according to Shota Rustaveli's Epic "The Knight in the Panther's Skin" Paata Chkheidze

The Moral Aspect of Philosophy Ghia Nodia

The Universalism of John Paul II and the United Nations: Towards a New Intellectual-Ethical Environment Janus Kuczynski

Moral Values, Moral Development and Education Marin Calin

Morality and Legality: The Political Significance of Their Relationship Vlastimil Hála

The Global Significance of Natural Law: Opportunities, Quandaries and Directions Anthony J. Kelly C.Ss.R

Healthy Shame? An Interchange between Elspeth Probyn and Thomas Aquinas Rev. Dr. Tom Ryan, formerly of the University of Notre Dame Australia, Marist Priest, Adjunct Lecturer at the Australian Catholic University

Moral Education beyond the Secular and Sacred Dichotomy Kimlyn J. Bender, University of Sioux Falls

Skeptical Theism and Moral Skepticism Nick Trakakis & Yujin Nagasawa, Monash University & Australian National University, Australia



SOCIAL MORALITY

Justice and Peace Theology Library links.

Catholic Social Teaching Theology Library links.



SEXUAL MORALITY

Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Catholics and Family Planning Pastoral letter by the New Zealand Catholic bishops

Love is for Life 1986 pastoral letter by the Irish bishops. See especially part II on such topics as premarital sex, pronography, and contraception.

Statement on Assisted Human Reproductive Technologies 1998 statement by the bishops of New Zealand

The Person Who Commits Impurity Sins Against His Own Body Gregory of Nyssa

And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible By Ronald L. Ecker. Includes articles on topics such as adultery, fornication, and incest.

Helping Childless Couples Conceive One in six U.S. couples is infertile. In an era when technology offers such couples more and more options, a Catholic moral theologian, Richard C. Sparks, C.S.P., explains in a St. Anthony Messenger article the Church’s teaching concerning the different procedures.

Adultery Article from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia.

Sex, Ethics, and One Billion Adolescents By Professor Daniel C. Maguire, Theology Department, Marquette University

Roman Catholic Sexual Ethics: A Dissenting View Article by Charles E. Curran

Catholic Social and Sexual Teaching: a Methodological Comparison Article by Charles E. Curran in Theology Today. The contemporary official Catholic leaching on social issues with its relationality-responsibility model recognizes significant gray areas.... In the contemporary official Catholic teaching on sexual issues, there is little or no mention of such gray areas.

Religious Declaration on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing A consensus statement created by theologians and ethicists from a broad range of religious traditions and currently endorsed by over two thousand religious leaders across the United States, including denominational leaders, seminary presidents, deans, and faculty members, and clergy from more than twenty-five religious traditions

Is Contraception Really Intrinsically Evil? Article by John Flanagan in Theology@McAuley, 2002

A Letter to the Pope Article by Bernhard Häring, from the Tablet, 30 June 1990

Blessed Are They Who Mourn: Roman Catholic Sex/Gender Ideology after Vatican II Marian Ronan, American Baptist Seminary of the West

Sex: God's Blessing or Humanity's Curse? W. Jay Wood on What Would Augustine Say?



MEDICAL ETHICS

The Moral Limits of Medical Research and Treatment Pope Pius XII

Dangers of Genetic Manipulation Pope John Paul II

Responses to questions proposed concerning uterine isolation and related matters 1993 document of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services, Fourth Edition United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 2001

Nutrition and Hydration: Moral and Pastoral Reflections Issued by the Committee for Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops on April 1992.

Care of the Sick and Dying 1993 pastoral letter from the bishops of Maryland.

Development of Church Teaching on Prolonging Life By Kevin D. O'Rourke, O.P., J.C.D.

Issues in Ethics, Vol.3, No.3, Summer 1990 Articles: "Aged-Based Health Care Rationing: Challenges for an Aging Society." "AIDS, Privacy & the Community: The Ethics of Mandatory AIDS Testing and Disclosure." "System Overload: Pondering the ethics of America's health care system." IE is a publication of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

Voluntary Health Risks: Who Should Pay? Article from Issues in Ethics

Health Care Ethics A compilation of links prepared and rated by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.

Catholic Educator's Resourc: Medical Ethics Articles on different topics relating to medical ethics.

Ethical Considerations in the Business Aspects of Health Care A 1995 statement of the Woodstock Theological Center

Ethical Issues in Managed Health Care Organizations A 1999 report from the Woodstock Theological Center

Buddhism and Medical Ethics: A Bibliographic Introduction An article from the Buddhist Journal of Ethics

The National Catholic Bioethics Center The Mission of The National Catholic Bioethics Center is to promote and safeguard the dignity of the human person through research, education, consultation, and publishing in the health and life sciences for private individuals, bishops, priests, physicians, nurses, hospital administrators, and those who shape law and public policy

The Linacre Centre The Linacre Centre exists to help Catholics understand the Church's position on many contentious questions in medical ethics. It is the only Catholic centre for bioethics in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and its Trustees are the Roman Catholic Archbishops of England and Wales

Issues in Islamic Biomedical Ethics: A Primer for the Pediatrician Article by Kamyar M. Hedayat in Pediatrics, 2001

The Contribution of Proportionism to Bioethical Deliberation in a Moderately Post Scientific Age Article by Terence Lovat in Theology@McAuley, 2003

Scientific discoveries must be examined in the light of faith Bishop Thomas L. Dupré, Bishop of Springfield, 2001

Kentucky's Advance Health Care Directives and Organ Donation: A Catholic Perspective Catholic bishops of Kentucky

Health Care Ministry in the Twenty First Century: A Meeting Ground for Technology and Human Dignity Cornelius J. van der Poel, Holy Ghost Father, founder and former director of the pastoral ministry programs at Duquesne University and Barry University. Click on item in index

Health Care Ethics Links courtesy of EthicsWeb



BUSINESS ETHICS

Ethics in Advertising From the Pontifical Council for Social Communications

Woodstock Business Conference In addition to information on the conference, you can find articles such as "Affirming the Relevance of Religious Faith to Business Practice," "Spirituality in the Workplace," and "Faith and Values at Work: A Seminar in Spiritual and Ethical Integration for Managers and Executives."

Institute for Business & Professional Ethics at DePaul University

Business Codes of Ethics

Health Care Ethics: Business Aspects Catherine D. DeAngelis, M.D., Bernard R. Tresnowski, and John P. Langan, S.J., Woodstock Report, December 1993

Creating and Maintaining an Ethical Corporate Climate A statement of the Woodstock Theological Center

Ethical Considerations in Corporate Takeovers A statement of the Woodstock Theological Center

Business Ethics A compilation of links prepared and rated by the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University

Institute of Business Ethics UK-based organization which emphasizes the essentially ethical nature of wealth creation, to encourage the highest standards of behaviour by companies and to publicise the best ethical practices

Corporate Social Responsibility Europe Our mission is to help companies achieve profitability, sustainable growth and human progress by placing Corporate Social Responsibility in the mainstream of business practice

Business Ethics and Catholic Identity: The Nike Contract with St. John’s Article by John R.Wilcox in the January 1999 issue of Catholic Practice

Christian Formation For Corporate Life Article by Oliver F. Williams, C.S.C. in Theology Today, 1979

Emerson Ethics Center Publications Business ethics cases from the Emerson Ethics Center at Saint Louis University

The Ethical Boundaries Of Business: Questions Of Integrity Pravasan Pillay

The Role of Corporate Ethics in a Market Economy and Civil Society Georges Enderle

An Approach to Business Ethics: Fact-based Value for Fair Trade Charn Mayot

The Place of Ethics in the Business World Dagmar Smreková

Business Ethics Resources Courtesy of EthicsWeb



BIRTH AND DEATH ISSUES

Issues in Care for the Beginning of Life United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 2001

Issues in Care for the Dying United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, June 2001

Death and Dying Issues 1991 pastoral letter by Bishop James T. McHugh of Camden

Statement on the Life, Death and the Treatment of Dying Patients 1989 statement by the bishops of Florida

Abortion Theology Library links

Euthanasia Theology Library links

Aid in Dying: Physician-Assisted Suicide Confronts High Court and Public With Moral Questions By Michael J. Meyer. Article from Issues in Ethics, a publication of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University

End of Life This entire issue of Issues in Ethics is devoted to end-of-life questions from a variety of different perspectives

Returning the Gift of Life Article by Robert Halliday in Ars Disputandi, 2004

Euthanasia & End of Life Issues Catholic bishops of Ohio



MISCELLANEOUS LINKS

Alphonsian Academy The Alphonsian Academy is a Higher Institute of Moral Theology located in Rome, Italy, founded in 1949 by the Redemptorists. Since 1960, it has specialized in moral theology as a part of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Lateran University. The Academy grants both the licentiate and the doctoral degrees in moral theology.

Ethics Connection From the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Contains publications, interactive dialogue, a database of ethical links, and much more.

Issues in Ethics A publication of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Current and back issues are online, with articles covering all aspects of morality.

Thinking Ethically about Technology John Haas

Center for Global Ethics The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS coordinates the work of thinkers, scholars and activists from around the world, who are working to define, implement and promote policies of responsible global citizenship

Bank of Catholic Moral Theology Questions Over 600 questions covering nine topics, with two types of inquiry: multiple choice and free response. A free service offered to all certified religion teachers. To proceed beyond the opening page you will need a password. Bona Fide theology teachers may request a password, at no charge, by sending an application letter to the bank's creator, Brother Malcolm Melcher, S.C.



DIRECTORIES

Ethics on the World Wide Web From the School of Communications at California State University, Fullerton

Resources for Catholic Educators: Moral Issues

Ethical Links From the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University

Moral Theology / Ethics From Theology.ie




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