Morality and the Human Goods
, by Gomez-Lobo, Alfonso- ISBN: 9780878408856 | 0878408851
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 3/1/2002
A concise and accessible introduction to natural law ethics, this book introduces readers to the mainstream tradition of Western moral philosophy. Building on philosophers from Plato through Aquinas to John Finnis, Alfonso Gomez-Lobo links morality to the protection of basic human goods -- life, family, friendship, work and play, the experience of beauty, knowledge, and integrity -- elements essential to a flourishing, happy human life.
Gomez-Lobo begins with a discussion of Plato's Crito as an introduction to the practice of moral philosophy, showing that it requires that its participants treat each other as equals and offer rational arguments to persuade each other. He then puts forth a general principle for practical rationality: one should pursue what is good and avoid what is bad. The human goods form the basis for moral norms that provide a standard by which actions can be evaluated: do they support or harm the human goods? He argues that moral norms should be understood as a system of rules whose rationale is the protection and enhancement of human goo