Christopher Kaczor Livres

Disputes in Bioethics tackles some of the most debated questions in contemporary scholarship about the beginning and end of life. This collection of essays takes up questions about the dawn of human life, including: Should we make children with three (or more) parents? Is it better never to have been born? and Is the so called 'after-birth' abortion wrong? This volume also asks about the dusk of human life: Is 'death with dignity' a dangerous euphemism? Should euthanasia be permitted for children? and Does assisted suicide harm those who do not choose to die? Still other questions are asked concerning recent views that health care professionals should not have a right to conscientiously object to legal and accepted medical practices. Finally, the book addresses questions about separating conjoined twins as well as the issue of whether the species of an individual makes a difference for the individual's moral status. Christopher Kaczor critiques some of the most recent and influential positions in bioethics, while eschewing both consequentialism and principalism. Rooted in the Catholic principle that faith and reason are harmonious, this book shows how Catholic bioethical teaching is rationally defensible in terms that people of good will, secular or religious, can accept. Proceeding from a natural law perspective, Kaczor defends the inherent dignity of all human beings and argues that they merit the protection of their basic human goods because of that inherent dignity. Philosophers interested in applied ethics, as well as students and professors of law, will profit from reading Disputes in Bioethics. --Book cover

Focusing on a rational approach, this comprehensive work presents a critical examination of the arguments against abortion, addressing the fundamental rights of fetal human beings. The third edition thoroughly evaluates the major justifications for denying these rights, appealing to logic and ethics rather than religious perspectives.

Just as Aristotelian metaphysics provided a new basis for the natural theology of Aquinas’s time, so too, positive psychology provides a basis for a natural moral theology in our own time. this book marshals the empirically verifiable findings of positive psychology that show the wisdom of the Christian tradition. Christian warnings about the dangers of greed, coveting a neighbor’s goods (social comparison), and pride find an empirical verification. Likewise, positive psychology vindicates the wisdom of Christian teaching on the importance of forgiveness, of gratitude, of humility, and of serving one’s neighbor. moreover, positive psychology also can be a service to Christian believers by helping them in their struggles with willpower, by providing new motivations for prayer, and by helping them identify their signature strengths. Finally, this book argues, in a variety of ways, that it is folly to think that even the best of psychology can serve as a replacement for Christianity.

The book features a compelling debate between two moral philosophers who present well-reasoned arguments on opposing sides of a significant ethical issue. Each philosopher articulates their perspective with clarity and conviction, engaging readers in a thought-provoking exploration of moral principles and dilemmas. The dialogue not only highlights the complexity of ethical reasoning but also encourages readers to reflect on their own beliefs and values.

The Roman Catholic Church has long been the target of suspicion and hostility. But how much of this is based on ignorance and prejudice and how much is the fruit of thoughtful consideration of the facts? This book attempts to distinguish between fact and fiction regarding the Catholic Church. All of the current hot-button topics are addressed: faith versus science, the status of women, the clergy abuse scandals, contraception, and same-sex unions. Without excusing or justifying wrongdoing, the author clarifies the official teachings of the Church on these matters. He then demonstrates that much popular opinion about Catholicism has been based on misunderstanding and misinformation. For example, in the minds of many, Catholic opposition to same-sex unions is the result of bigotry and hatred. But is this so? What if the Church's teaching on marriage has nothing to do with hatred and everything to do with love--the exclusive, lifelong, spousal love between a man and a woman, which finds its ultimate fulfillment in the procreation of children? No book can answer everyone's questions, objections, and concerns about the Catholicism, but this work examines seven of the most controversial and most common myths about the Catholic Church.

"The Edge of Life: Human Dignity and Contemporary Bioethics" explores moral questions surrounding human dignity as both agent and patient. It critiques modern bioethics, particularly views from authors like Peter Singer, while addressing debates within the Catholic tradition and examining the concept of personhood.

Je klamstvo vždy nesprávne? Alebo existujú prípady, v ktorých je klamstvo dovolené? Ako by ste odpovedali nacistovi, ktorý sa vás pri dverách pýta, či ukrývate Židov? Vo februári 2011 americká mládežnícka pro-life organizácia Live Action uverejnila na internete videá, v ktorých jej aktivisti prezlečení za pasákov a prostitútky získavajú informácie o možnosti získania antikoncepcie, potratov a lekárskej starostlivosti od pracovníkov rôznych pobočiek štátom spolufinancovanej organizácie Planned Parenthood, venujúcej sa práve týmto činnostiam. Ústretovosť a ochota niektorých zamestnancov Planned Parenthood voči údajným prostitútkam, niektorým dokonca mladistvým, vyvolala v Spojených štátoch škandál vedúci až k hlasovaniu o zastavení štátneho financovania tejto inštitúcie v dolnej komore amerického parlamentu. V hnutí za život videá Live Action vyvolali búrlivú diskusiu o morálnosti jej praktík a vôbec o morálnosti klamstva na záchranu života. Táto kniha prináša časť diskusie, ktorá prebehla na americkom diskusnom portáli Public Discourse, doplnenú o teologickú a filozofickú argumentáciu i historické príklady ilustrujúce túto závažnú otázku.