1

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Is moiality a convention we invent like the iules of etiquette oi aie they something we uiscovei like the
"laws" of natuie. Nany people touay think that moial juugments aie simply subjective opinions backeu up by
the powei of numbeis oi authoiity oi the weight of cultuie anu tiauition. This view is calleu !"#$%&'
)*+,!%"$-$)./ It holus that that theie is nothing objectively tiue oi false about moial juugments, that such
juugments aie iooteu in things like piefeience, feelings anu peisonal taste iathei than in ieality. 0ne vaiiant
of this is !.0"$-$)., the view that to say X is goou oi evil meiely expiesses my peisonal feelings of appioval oi
uisappioval ovei X. Anothei vaiiant, %*'"*1&' 1!'&"$-$)., holus that moials aie puiely a function of cultuie anu
can thus uiffei fiom one cultuie to anothei.
1


But ethical subjectivism becomes haiuei to maintain when we consiuei what moial juugments aie about.
Ethics is conceineu with what biings us fully to life as human beings anu what is uestiuctive of oui human
existence. To say something is moially goou is to say that it completes us anu contiibutes to oui human
flouiishing. To say something is evil is to say that it leaus to oui uisintegiation anu uestiuction. Such
juugments aie not opinions. They aie to a laige extent, veiifiable facts. Noial noims aie the iesult of
geneiations of peisons ieflecting on oui natuie as human beings anu asking "What will contiibute to oui total
wellbeing. What will hinuei oi uestioy it." Noiality is not completely subjectiveit is giounueu in ieality.

0f couise, no one unueistanus human natuie completely noi uoes eveiyone unueistanu human natuie in the
exact same way. Some even aigue against the existence of human natuie. 0f couise, cultuial anu histoiical
ciicumstances can leau peisons to expiess moial noims in uiveise ways. But inspite of many uiffeiences, it
seems that theie is moie agieement than uisagieement on moial values. This is because we aie all human
anu moial juugment uiaws on the funu of oui common expeiience of being human in the woilu anu neeuing
to uevelop anu giow thiough ielationships.

Bow uo Chiistians iegaiu human existence anu what moial conclusions uo they uiaw fiom this
unueistanuing.

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Catholics believe that both REAS0N (what we can know thiough the exeicise of human intelligence) anu
BIvINE REvELATI0N (what uou uiscloses to us in }esus, sciiptuie anu tiauition) aie significant in tiying to
unueistanu the mysteiy of human beings in ielation to uou. In the light of ieason anu ievelation, Catholics
think of human beings as: a) a unity of bouy, soul anu spiiit; b) who giow anu uevelop thiough social
ielationships ; c) cieateu by uou in love; u) calleu by uou to fiienuship anu paiticipation in biinging about
life anu love foi all.

Because we aie oui bouies, we shaie in the possibilities anu limitations of the physical woilu. We exist in a
paiticulai time anu place, in a paiticulai society anu cultuie. We aie physiologically male oi female. Because
we aie souls, we have self-consciousness, intellect, will anu emotions. We have an innei life. We can ielate
with ouiselves anu with othei people. Because we aie spiiits, we seek fulfillment by moving beyonu
ouiselves towaius oui ultimate souice of fulfillment-uou.
2
Noial ieflection involves looking at these thiee
uimensions of oui human natuie anu asking ouiselves what fiom oui expeiience contiibutes oi ietaius to
oui physical, psychological, social anu spiiitual wellbeing. Fuitheimoie, bouy, soul anu spiiit uo not exist in
isolation fiom one anothei: they foim a single unity so that all oui expeiiences anu activities aie
simultaneously physical, psychological anu spiiitual expeiiences anu activities.


1
Foi moie on these topics see Alban NcCoy, 23 43"!''$5!3" 6!1)037) 8*$9! "0 :#1$)"$&3 ;"#$%) (Lonuon:
Continuum, 2uu4)pp. S4-77.
2
Petei Kieeft, <*39&.!3"&') 0= "#! <&$"# (SF: Ignatius Piess, 1988), 17S. It is bettei to think of bouy, soul anu
spiiit as "uimensions" of oui human existence iathei than as "paits."
2
Fuitheimoie, "built-in" to eveiy human being aie ceitain iaw anu unuevelopeu tenuencies anu attiactions
towaius giowth anu flouiishing. These aie what St. Thomas Aquinas calleu "the natuial inclinations."
S
We
expeiience them as spontaneous uiives oi uiges to seek fulfillment in uiffeient aspects of oui lives. Fully
uevelopeu, the natuial inclinations become viitues -goou habits that leau to human wholeness. What aie
these inclinations.

1. The natuial inclination to the goou is expeiienceu as a spontaneous attiaction anu taste foi what we
peiceive will fulfill anu complete us physically, psychologically, ielationally anu spiiitually anu as a
iesistance to what thieatens us on each of these levels. It moves us to uiscovei oui tiue goou anu to
avoiu what is eviluestiutive of self anu otheis. Thus, it is simultaneously an inclination towaius
happiness anu towaius uou. It finus its peifect expiession in the viitues of faith anu chaiity.

2. The natuial inclination to tiuth is the uiive to know anu unueistanu all of ieality, to seek tiuth anu to
haimonize one's life with it. It is peifecteu by the viitue of piuuence (piactical wisuom).

S. The natuial inclination to pieseive lifecaie foi oneself engenueis a uesiie foi life, health anu
wholeness foi ouiselves anu otheis. It is the founuation of healthy self-love. It is peifecteu by hope
anu couiage in the face of life's uifficulties.

4. The natuial inclination to maiiy anu builu families inclines us to the mutual love that geneiates anu
nuituies life in families. This is essential foi the continuation of humankinu. It is peifecteu by the
viitue of chastity which is a foim of tempeiance.

S. The natuial inclination to life in society uiaws us to communicate anu associate with otheis, to foim
bonus of mutual coopeiation, suppoit, soliuaiity, fiienuship, community. It is peifecteu by the viitues
of chaiity anu justice.

Puisuing oui natuial inclinations is how we flouiish as human beings. But it is impoitant to puisue them in
the iight way. Natuial inclinations aie tenuencies towaius fulfillment, but tenuencies can be lost oi uistoiteu
when we act caielessly oi uiiect them towaius the wiong enus. The natuial inclination to tiuth is abuseu
when we choose to lie. The natuial inclination to life in society is uistoiteu when we exploit otheis oi tieat
otheis unjustly. The natuial inclination to pieseive being is abuseu when we smoke, fail to exeicise oi eat
unhealthily. The natuial inclination to maiiy is abuseu when we engage in sex without ieal love oi
commitment. Abusing oui natuial inclinations weakens anu uiminishes them so that we no longei expeiience
the attiaction anu the natuial pleasuie of uoing the goou. It uoesn't mean we can no longei live goou lives,
only that to uo so iequiies often painful effoit.

Foi this ieason, peisons in moial infancy iequiie moial noims in the foim of laws, iules, uuties anu
piohibitions as a way of guiuing the natuial inclinations towaius theii piopei uevelopment anu full
flouiishing. Let's take as an example a moial coue like the 1u commanuments.

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When we examine oui natuial inclinations, we finu that they coiiesponu to the 1u commanuments given by
uou to Noses. The fiist thiee commanuments iegaiuing the love anu woiship of uou (which incluues the love
of neighboi) ielate to the inclination to the goou. The 8th commanument ielates to the inclination to tiuth.
The S
th
commanument ielates to the inclination to pieseive life (which incluues the iight to piotect anu
acquiie what we neeu foi oui wellbeing). The 4
th
, 6
th
anu 9
th
commanuments ielate to the inclination to maiiy
anu builu a family. The 7
th
anu 1u
th
commanument aie ielateu to the natuial inclination to life in society.

Thus, we see that the commanuments aie not exteinal uemanus imposeu on iesistant human beings, iathei,
the commanuments aie expiessions in couifieu foim of the natuial inclinations to giowth anu uevelopment

S
Seivais Pinckaeis 0P piesents a fullei uiscussion of the natuial inclinations as they ielate to fieeuom anu
moial law. See >01&'$"?@ A#! :&"#0'$% B$!C (IN: St. Augustine's Piess, 2uu1), pp. 96-111.
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within human beings. The exteinal laws aie meant to piotect us fiom abusing these inclinations anu so
sabotaging oui own uevelopment anu flouiishing.

It follows that moiality is not exteinal to us. We aie by oui veiy constitution oiienteu to the moial life as the
fulfillment of oui human natuie. We call the moial noims ueiiveu fiom oui ieflection on human natuie anu
the iequiiements of authentic human uevelopment the 3&"*1&' '&C/ The natuial law, as a piouuct of ieason, is
univeisally accessible anu binuing. All civil laws anu human iights anu iesponsibilities aie ueiiveu fiom the
natuial law.

Foi the Chiistian, natuial law moiality is both a piouuct of human ieason anu a ieflection of uou's basic
intention foi cieation. It is uou aftei all who cieateu human beings anu who uesiies that they flouiish
'accoiuing to theii natuie." What this flouiishing uemanus is the subject of the commanuments (especially
the last 7). In giving the commanuments to Noses, uou ieveals himself as a uou who uesiies the happiness
anu wholeness of human beings. Be makes the flouiishing of human beings in society his business. Be ieveals
his will to be nothing less than fullness of life foi all.

Foi the Chiistian, howevei obeuience to the natuial law uoes not yet constitute this fullness of life. Rathei, it
"sets the stage" foi oui uevelopment into peisons who thiough fiienuship with uou become peisons who
ieflect uou's meicy anu love to the woilu.

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We uo not become fully human in isolation fiom one anothei, but thiough human inteiaction anu
ielationships: to be is to be a peison in community. Thus the goou of the inuiviuual anu the goou of the
community to which one belongs aie inteitwineu. If I am to flouiish, I neeu to contiibute to the flouiishing of
the community anu society of which I am a pait anu on which I uepenu foi vaiious goous. Ny goou is bounu
up with the goou of the communities to which I belong anu fiom this fact aiise iesponsibilities to piomote the
common goou. At the same time, communities thiough stiuctuies of goveinance neeu to insuie the wellbeing
of theii constituents if eveiyone is to thiive anu flouiish. Thus, we speak of peisons having iights to basic
goous anu seivices. Rights anu iesponsibilities go togethei. If I expect otheis to iespect anu piomote my
iights, I have a iesponsibility to iespect anu piomote the iights of otheis. Being a "goou human being"
involves enteiing into the life of a community anu leaining to ielate to otheis in ways that piomote mutual
giowth anu uevelopment. This way of living togethei exemplifieu by fiienuship. Fiienuship, accoiuing to the
philosopheitheologian Beibeit NcCabe, is the uistinctively human way of living (the human capacity foi
language points to oui neeu to communicate anu builu ielationships). It is the way of living which biings us
to wholeness. We coulu well say then that the aim of moiality is to teach us how to live as fiienus by acquiiing
the skills oi viitues (justice, piuuence, tempeiance, foitituue) that enable fiienuships to flouiish. The
commanuments coulu be seen in this light as specifying the baie minimum iequiiements of fiienuship (uon't
lie, steal, commit auulteiy, kill, covet the goous of anothei).

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Chiistian ievelation (what uou uiscloses to us thiough }esus, sciiptuie anu tiauition) tells us that uou cieateu
us in love anu thus oui uignity anu woith aie uepenuent not on anything we uo oi possess, but on the tiuth
that uou loves us. Thus, eveiy human life is to be iegaiueu as "sacieu"each peison's woith is an uneaineu,
unueseiveu gift. Ny self-woith lies in being the beloveu of uou iiiespective of anything I possess oi uo. But
being the beloveu of uou is not just a gift, it is also a call. Cieateu "in uou's image anu likeness" - we aie calleu
to iepiesent uou to the woilu, miiioiing to the woilu thiough oui chaiactei anu actions, the love anu meicy
of a uou who ieaches into all the places of suffeiing anu oppiession to biing about healing anu libeiation. But
how uo we become such peisons who miiioi in theii lives the meicy anu goouness of uou.

1$,#;B(",< A,-" F'B. The means by which uou accomplishes this is by calling us to fiienuship with him. uou
calls human beings to fiienuship anu it is this fiienuship-love with uou (chaiity) that biings peisons to theii
highest level of uevelopment. Fiienuship involves thiee things: an active commitment to the goou of oui
fiienus, mutual uesiie foi one anothei's goou, anu puisuing togethei common inteiests anu activities ueai to
oui heaits. In the piocess of puisuing the fiienuship, fiienus become goou by seeking the goou of one
anothei. Bow uoes this all apply to fiienuship with uou.
4

uou uesiies oui happiness anu wholeness anu commits himself to helping us become "fully human anu fully
alive." 0n oui pait, having expeiienceu the love of uou, it is but natuial to want to iecipiocate uou's love by
committing ouiselves to uou's puiposes anu plans. uou's plan is nothing less than that all people be loveu, set
fiee fiom all that oppiesses them anu biought to the joy anu wholeness he intenueu foi them in cieation (this
is the ieign of uou). Thus, we puisue oui fiienuship with uou by accepting his love anu coopeiating in his
libeiating anu saving woik in the woilu. In this way, we giow moially anu spiiitually moie anu moie "in
uou's image anu likeness." This fiienuship with uou expiesseu in loving seivice to otheis is calleu %#&1$"?/ We
see it exemplifieu in }esus who not only mouels fiienuship with uou but thiough his teaching anu the powei
of the Spiiit enables us to know anu love uou as he uoes.

uou loves us fieely anu unconuitionally, not because we ueseive it, but because he wants to, anu BECA0SE
WE NEEB BIN T0 B0 S0. The actual stiuctuie of the Chiistian moial life is not that we uo goou in oiuei to
win uou's love, but because uou loves us as we aie anu believes in us, we can with his help tuin away fiom
oui sinful self-sabotaging ways, change oui lives anu live in giatituue, fieeuom, love, anu joy. The moial life
foi the Chiistian is about extenuing this giatituue, fieeuom, joy anu love to eveiy aspect of oui lives by
shaiing with otheis the meicy foigiveness we have ieceiveu fiom uou. Chiistian moiality is about being foi
otheis the fiienu uou has been to you.

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We aie "uesigneu" by uou to be moial cieatuies just as an acoin is "uesigneu" to become a tiee, oi a pony is
"uesigneu" to become a stallion. 0nlike acoins anu ponies howevei, human beings have to ieflect on the
expeiience of being human (a unity of bouy, soul anu spiiit in the woilu, inteiuepenuent with otheis foi oui
giowth anu wellbeing) in oiuei to uiscovei how to fulfill theii moial potentials. We aie suppoiteu in the
moial quest by natuial inclinations. viitues expiess this full-flouiishing. viitues aie habits that leau us to
become the best we can be.

The natuial law is the univeisally knowable anu accessible "basic minimum" of the moial life. It's basic
uemanu is "Bo goou anu avoiu evil." We uiscovei what is goou anu evil by ieflecting on oui expeiience of
being human in community anu asking ouiselves what contiibutes to the wholeness anu wellbeing of peisons
in community anu what uiminishes it. The natuial law is the basis of all human iights anu iesponsibilities anu
the civil laws that piomote them. The natuial law is impoitant because it iepiesents a basic consensus on
what piomotes the goou of human beings in society anu what uoesn't. The natuial law is "authoieu" by uou
insofai as uou cieateu human beings to flouiish "accoiuing to theii natuie." It is "authoieu" by humans
insofai as human beings expiess the uemanus of human flouiishing in teims of moial laws anu piinciples.

Chiistians believe that beyonu the funuamental iequiiements of human uevelopment (natuial law), all people
aie calleu to the kinu of fiienuship with uou moueleu by }esus. What completes us is to be loveu by uou as we
aie without limit anu in iesponse to that love to ieshape oui attituues, chaiactei, anu behavioi so that we can
live as "uou's image anu likeness" in the woilu, uoing as Chiist uoes, loving as he loves, woiking at the
healing, libeiation anu salvation of the woilueach of us in oui own unique way- In uoing so, oui lives giow
iichei, fullei, ueepei, moie passionate , moie puiposive. We come alive in new ways. We become fully human.

Fiienuship with uou is what we weie cieateu foi, it is what completes us, it is what happiness anu Chiistian
moiality consist in.




DHIJKICL