Is There Always a Right Choice? Conscience, Prudence, and Natural Law |Prof. Joshua Hochschild
Feb 22, 2024
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Explore the significance of conscience, prudence, and natural law in decision-making. Delve into moral norms, freedom, and the philosophical basis of conscience. Understand the complexity of moral decision-making and the nature of actions. Learn about the obligations of conscience, forming one's conscience, and making informed decisions. Dive into the concept of natural law, seeking truth, and navigating moral complexity through virtue and prudence.
Conscience guides moral decisions, emphasizing responsibility for following a well-formed conscience.
Natural law principles serve as a moral compass, reflecting inherent order towards good and avoiding evil.
Deep dives
Understanding Conscience, Prudence, and Natural Law
The podcast episode delves into the concepts of conscience, prudence, and natural law. These aspects are interconnected in moral reasoning. Conscience guides a person in moral judgments, emphasizing the responsibility to follow a well-formed conscience. Prudence aids in determining the right choice in practical situations, drawing on understanding natural law principles. Natural law serves as a moral compass, reflecting the inherent order towards good and avoiding evil. The episode explores how these elements intertwine to guide moral decisions.
Distinct Levels of Natural Law and Principles
The discussion introduces distinct levels of natural law principles, focusing on overarching precepts and specific applications to human nature. Aquinas distinguishes primary natural law principles, such as 'do good and avoid evil,' followed by specifications related to human preservation and societal relations. The natural law reflects the participation of rational beings in God's eternal law, highlighting divine governance and moral foundations. Through an understanding of natural law, individuals discern right actions in varying circumstances.
Challenges in New Natural Law Theory Interpretations
The episode addresses the relationship between new natural law theory and traditional interpretations of natural law. The new natural law theory diverges in presenting moral reasoning separate from religious foundations, focusing on practical reason alone. Critiques suggest potential limitations in explaining widespread moral reasoning failures within this framework. The discourse highlights nuanced distinctions between theoretical and practical reason in formulating ethical principles.
Communication of Natural Law Without Theological References
Exploring natural law concepts without theological underpinnings forms an essential part of ethical discussions. Practical applications of natural law can be conveyed without direct religious contexts, facilitating conversations with diverse audiences. Initiating dialogs on moral norms, even with individuals of varying beliefs, can foster mutual understanding and ethical reflection. The versatility of discussing natural law principles provides a framework for engaging in moral deliberations across different viewpoints.
This lecture was given on June 21st, 2023, at Stonyhust College.
For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events
Prof. Joshua Hochschild (Mount St. Mary’s University) is Professor of Philosophy and Director of Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He also served six years as the inaugural Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. His primary research is in medieval logic, metaphysics, and ethics, with broad interest in liberal education and the continuing relevance of the Catholic intellectual tradition. He is the author of The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia (2010), translator of Claude Panaccio’s Mental Language: From Plato to William of Ockham (2017), and co-author of A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction (2017). His writing has appeared in First Things, Commonweal, Modern Age and the Wall Street Journal. For 2020-21 he served as President of the American Catholic Philosophical Association.
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