Conscience and Its Problems: An Introduction to Casuistry

by Kenneth Escott Kirk

This book, originally published in 1927, has proven to be one of the most important and influential books in the field of ethics in the twentieth century. It remains a pertinent, original, and insightful work--a landmark statement of modern casuistry. The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

1886-1954

Reviews

[Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great book on moral philosophy.
Although the author does have his own assumptions and focuses his discourse by analyzing and maybe even endorsing the position of the Church of England, he does justice to the depth and breadth of the moral issues encountered and those that have to deal with conscience.
At times I got the feeling like he was just jumping carelessly around different "moral traditions" in explicating a certain issue; e.g. Relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, etc.

Reoccuring themes:
Moral reality never happens in a vacuum.
Authority of conscience.
Against settling on vagueness, e.g. making moral decisions based on probability.
Loyalty to an institution does not take away the right to conscience of an individual.
Against legalism and strict moral laws.