The Ethics of Discernment

"The Ethics of Discernment makes a compelling case for why the foundations of ethics should be based on a philosophy of self-appropriation." -- John J. Liptay, Department of Philosophy, St Thomas More College, University of Saskatchewan "Written in a very clear, conversational style, The Ethics of Discernment will be the definitive text on Lonergan's ethics. Byrne not only summarizes Lonergan's work in this area but builds on it masterfully." -- Mark T. Miller, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco

In The Ethics of Discernment, Patrick H. Byrne presents an approach to ethics that builds upon the cognitional theory and the philosophical method of self-appropriation that Bernard Lonergan introduced in his book Insight, as well as upon Lonergan’s later writing on ethics and values.

In The Ethics of Discernment, Patrick H. Byrne presents an approach to ethics that builds upon the cognitional theory and the philosophical method of self-appropriation that Bernard Lonergan introduced in his book Insight, as well as upon Lonergan’s later writing on ethics and values.

Extending Lonergan’s method into the realm of ethics, Byrne argues that we can use self-appropriation to come to objective judgements of value. The Ethics of Discernment is an introspective analysis of that process, in which sustained ethical inquiry and attentiveness to feelings as “intentions of value” leads to a rich conception of the good.

Written both for those with an interest in Lonergan’s philosophy and for those interested in theories of ethics who have only a limited knowledge of Lonergan’s work, Byrne’s book is the first detailed exposition of an ethical theory based on Lonergan’s philosophical method.