Conscience and Its Problems: Import

by Kenneth Escott Kirk (Contributor)

One of the great classics of moral theology, first published in 1927, and a benchmark in 20th-century casuistry, this work both recognizes the legacy of 16th and 17th century casuists and faces the moral issues relevant to modern times. An extensive new introduction by David H Smith places Kirk's approach to casuistry in the context of a general discussion of the term, its meaning and the ways it has been variously interpreted.

456 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.