La objetividadde la moral cristiana y la filosofía del ser

Abstract

The rejection of the objectivity of moral norms, considering them to be incompatible with human freedom, is one of the clearest manifestations of the present moral crisis. This question, which is often posed in relation to those norms which relate to the natural law, finds its most profound answer in a christian perspective. In effect the Gospel implies a definite anthropology. In order to express the message revealed by Jesus Christ not every anthropology is valid. Man's conditions as creature is a necessary presupposition on the gospel message. 11 this is ignored it is impossible to understand the universality of the christian message which necessarily presupposes a common basis, that is human nature. The divine initiative of salvation does not present itself as something radically heterogeneous to man but rather in terms of fulfillment, realization and restoration. It presupposes the presence of ethical requirements in the natural and universal reality of man. These ethical requirements belong to the range of natural law, a concept which has been the object of particular attack in relativist circles. It becomes necessary then, as an important task for ethics, to delimit clearly the concept of nature since in it the concept of natural law is in the balance. In a special way it must be stressed that nature is not a univocal concept but rather it is essentially analogical. It is predicated of all creatures and of God, of things and of man. Human nature should be considered as an open reality, since it is spiritual, and the moral requirements which spring from it, while granting that they are in accord with fundamental tendencies of nature, should be regulated by human reason. In this sense the moral norms of the natural law should not be considered to have been given once and for all but rather as a task of human reason. This approach, which is also thomist, does not leed to any form of relativism as long as it is situated within the context of the metaphysics of being which respects the spiritual openness of man. The vacuum created by the abandonment of metaphysics is being filled by use of the positive sciences which thus usurp the role which corresponds to metaphysics in the determination of ethical norms. The consequence is relativism as the sciences study the events and attempt to give them normative value. The sciences do have an important service to render to morality but should not grant themselves a role which is no theirs. Specifically the particular competence which corresponds to reason should be respected and that of reason illuminated by faith in the christian context. It is precisely the relationship between reason and faith that is the key to interpret the impact of the New Law on the natural law as well as the competence of the Magisterium in moral questions.