Moral reasoning in catholic sexual morality : natural law versus proportionalism

Abstract

This dissertation is divided into three chapters preceded by an introduction and ends with a conclusion. In this dissertation, I focus on two main models of conjugal morality, namely, the 'natural law' model and the 'personalist/proportionalist' model. Chapter one deals with the first model - The Natural Law Approach. This approach is the one championed by the Catholic Church. Throughout the ages, the Church believed that natural law was given to us by God and so it is the main source for moral judgement. Chapter two tackles the other model - The Personalistic and Proportionalistic Perspectives. Personalism puts the human being at the centre of moral judgement. Personalism holds that each person is unique and thus when judging a moral act one must first adequately consider the person as a whole, before making the judgement. Proportionalism emphasises the importance of proportionate reason, thus extending the justifiable ways to talk about evaluating moral action. Chapter three speaks about the encyclical Veritatis Splendor. This is the first encyclical devoted to central issues in fundamental moral theology, such as, man's ability to discern good.