Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law

Melissa Moschella is a professor of the practice in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life. She is the author of To Whom Do Children Belong? Parental Rights, Civic Education, and Children's Autonomy.Russell Hittinger is the Executive Director of the Institute for Human Ecology and co-founder of the Program on Catholic Political Thought at the Catholic University of America.

"Melissa Moschella's Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law is the most readable and accessible articulation of 'New' Natural Law Theory I have read in the field. I recommend the volume to ethics enthusiasts everywhere, but especially to Protestant audiences that tend to produce a voluntarist and divine command account of ethics to the neglect of articulating how and why God's moral decrees are also eminently reasonable." —Andrew T. Walker, author of Faithful Reason"Is it the case, and, if so, how is it the case, that the human intellect can grasp reasons—including moral reasons—for choice and action? In Ethics, Politics, and Natural Law, Melissa Moschella provides persuasive answers to these questions as well as a cogent account of those reasons. Her book represents the clearest, most readable exposition and defense of contemporary natural law theory yet to appear." —Robert P. George, author of Conscience and Its Enemies"The ability to achieve this combination of philosophical rigor and clear, accessible presentation is rare. . . . It will be appreciated across the spectrum of intellectual sophistication, schools of thought, and political ideology." —Daniel Philpott, author of Religious Freedom in Islam"[Moschella] shows how [New Natural Law Theory] is also positively transformative for individuals and political communities who have not given up on the idea that there is moral truth and that we can know it. That is no small thing in a world seemingly paralyzed by perpetual doubt."

• Foreword by Russell HittingerAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Natural Law Ethics as "Commonsense Morality"1. Basic Human Goods: The First Principles of Ethics What Ethics Is About: Human Action and Free ChoiceBasic Human Goods: The Basic Reasons for ActionResponses to Common Objections Does Human Life Really Have Intrinsic Value?What about Pleasure? What about Autonomy? How We Come to Know Basic GoodsSome Clarifications about Basic Goods Incommensurability of Basic GoodsBasic Goods as First Principles of Practical ReasonBasic Goods and Human Nature Nature, Natural Law, and Practical RationalityPutting It All Together2. Moral Principles The First Principle of Morality and Intermediate Moral Norms Never Intentionally Damage or Destroy a Basic Human GoodFairness: The Golden RuleThe Vocation Principle: Establishing a Reasonable Priority among GoodsThe Unity of Life Principle: Integrating Pursuits and Commitments in View of an Ultimate End The Doctrine of Double EffectVirtues: The Embodiment of Moral Principles Acting for No Real ReasonUnreasonable Preferences among Persons or GoodsPractical Wisdom and Emotional Motivation 3. The Social Dimension of Human Flourishing The Nature of CommunityThe Role of Community in Human Flourishing: The Life of Susie The FamilyIntermediate Associations Justice and Special Obligations4. The Political Dimension of Human Flourishing The Political Community as a Community of CommunitiesThe Common Good of the Political Community: All-Inclusive Common Good versus Specifically Political Common GoodPolitical AuthorityThe Limits of Political Authority Substantive Limits on GovernmentProcedural Limits on Government: The Rule of Law Natural Law and LiberalismWhat about Patriotism? Conclusion5. Human Flourishing, Morality, and God God and Moral ObligationGod and Moral MotivationChristian Revelation and the Promise of the KingdomConclusionAppendix: Annotated Resource BibliographyBibliographyIndexExtended Table of Contents