A profound inquiry into what prompts human beings to act morally
Most foundational texts on theological ethics address either the person or society. In The Moral Life, James F. Keenan, SJ, posits that these two are inextricably linked. He presents eight stages of preparing for the moral life, describing vulnerability as the foundation for contemporary ethics. He understands vulnerability to be what establishes the human capacity for recognizing and responding to others rather than a compromised state of being. Mutual recognition emerges as the first moral act of the vulnerable human. He shows how conscience guides the activity of one who has first vulnerably recognized others.
The Moral Life offers scholars and students of Christian ethics a novel perspective on what we need to know not only to be and live morally but also to teach and share with others what they need to know.
Reviews
"The Moral Life is a tour de force that probes the fundamental question of what prompts humans to act morally. Profound, original, challenging, and full of hope, Keenan’s magisterial voice is evident on every page as he makes the case that our deepest connections, forged in shared vulnerability, are foundational for the moral life."—Linda Hogan, professor of ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin
About the Author
James F. Keenan, SJ, Canisius Professor of Theology, director of the Jesuit Institute, and vice provost of global engagement at Boston College. He founded Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, an international network of ethicists. He also received the John Courtney Murray Lifetime Achievement Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America and is the past president of the Society of Christian Ethics. He has published a number of books, including A History of Catholic Theological Ethics (2022), and is the founding editor of Georgetown University Press’s Moral Traditions Series.
