Bernard Lonergan's Ethical Theory

Paper Summary:

This paper presents the theory of theological ethics of Bernard Lonergan. It includes his theory in relation to the John Rawls-Jurgen Habermas debate and the arguments presented by Charles Taylor in "The Malaise of Modernity". The paper also evaluates his theory in light of developments in theological ethics today.

From the Paper:

"Much of Lonergan's work concerns that of how Christians do good things in the world. He realized that theology had been for a long time disconnected from other disciplines. He pondered what could unify it to many of these disparate disciplines (economics, the natural sciences, history, psychology, etc...)? He realizes that all of us when we are doing something no matter what we are doing or whether we realize it or not, we are essentially understanding. Lonergan particularly focuses on the act of insight. He discovered this through studying Thomas Aquinas in Rome. Amidst studying the works of Aquinas, Lonergan, becomes vividly aware of his own acts of understanding. He came upon these insights and realizations not solely through reading Aquinas but by doing what Aquinas did, namely, that of understanding. In a sense, Lonergan attempted to emulate Aquinas' methodology of coming to understanding. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Habermas, Jurgen. "Reconciliation Through the Public Use of Reason: Remarks on John Rawls's Political Liberalism." The Journal of Philosophy 92 (no. 3, March 1995): 109-131.
• Melchin, Kenneth. Living with Other People. Ottawa: Novalis, 1998.
• Rawls, John. "The idea of Public Reason." In Political Liberalism, 212-254. New York: Colombia University Press, 1996.
• Taylor, Charles. The Malaise of Modernity. Toronto: Anansi, 1991.

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