“Ensoulment” is the word which describes the point at which the body of the conceptus is said to be informed by a human soul. (The notion of a living being having “no soul” is a philosophical oxymoron, since the soul is the principle of life in a material being.) There are two basic theories of […]
Entries Tagged as 'Moral Theology'
Ensoulment Theories and the Abortion Debate
September 22nd, 2007 · 3 Comments
Tags: Moral Theology · Medical Ethics
The Principle of Totality
September 22nd, 2007 · No Comments
On September 14, 1952, Pope Pius XII gave an address to the First International Congress on the Histopathology of the Nervous System. On that occasion, the Holy Father discussed the Principle of Totality at length and in the contrasting terms spelled out in this question. The principle itself is the general notion that, since parts […]
Tags: Moral Theology · Medical Ethics
The Principle of Double Effect in Contemporary Medicine
September 22nd, 2007 · 2 Comments
Sometimes the same act causes both a good result and an evil result at the same time. The question for the moralist is “Should such an act be performed?” The answer is that is can be, but only if four conditions are met: First, the act itself must be good or indifferent. Second, the good […]
Tags: Moral Theology · Medical Ethics
The Natural Law in Medical Ethics
September 22nd, 2007 · No Comments
The natural law tradition as explicated by Saint Thomas Aquinas is foundational for Catholic medical ethics. Here is a very brief description of the Natural Law theory of Thomas Aquinas as it affects that field of moral theology. Included in the description are (a) the historical antecedents of Natural Law, (b) the remote and proximate […]
Tags: Moral Theology · Medical Ethics · Natural Law
Catholics, Non-Catholics, and the Natural Law
August 30th, 2007 · No Comments
Given the general decline in public morals, and given the fact that, as an institution, the major promoter of the natural law is the Catholic Church, some are led to conclude that the natural law is a “Catholic thing,” or that it only binds Catholics. The natural law is Catholic inasmuch as it is an […]
Tags: Moral Theology · Apologetics · Natural Law
The Three Integral Parts of a Moral Act (and a bit of fun)
August 30th, 2007 · 2 Comments
The three parts of a moral act: object, intention, and circumstances. I was instructed to explain them in terms of three scenarios. I had a little fun. Here was the assignment: “Albert kills Ernest. Describe three different imaginary situations based on intentions and circumstances (who, what, where, when, by what means, how) that make it […]
Tags: Moral Theology
