Conscience and the Common Good

Erscheinungsjahr 2009
ISBN: 978-0-521-11377-9
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 326 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 629 g

Our society's longstanding commitment to the liberty of conscience has become strained by our increasingly muddled understanding of what conscience is and why we value it. Too often we equate conscience with individual autonomy, and so we reflexively favor the individual in any contest against group authority, losing sight of the fact that a vibrant liberty of conscience requires a vibrant marketplace of morally distinct groups. Defending individual autonomy is not the same as defending the liberty of conscience because, although conscience is inescapably personal, it is also inescapably relational. Conscience is formed, articulated, and lived out through relationships, and its viability depends on the law's willingness to protect the associations and venues through which individual consciences can flourish: these are the myriad institutions that make up the space between the person and the state. Conscience and the Common Good reframes the debate about conscience by bringing its relational dimension into focus.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vischer, Robert K

Fachgebiete

• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein Rechtssoziologie, Rechtspsychologie, Rechtslinguistik
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Rechtsphilosophie, Rechtsethik
• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein Rechtsphilosophie, Rechtsethik
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Sozialphilosophie, Politische Philosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction; Part I. The Relational Dimension of Conscience: 1. Conscience in law; 2. Conscience in the person; 3. Conscience's claims; 4. Conscience and the common good; Part II. Implications: 5. Voluntary associations; 6. Pharmacies; 7. Corporations; 8. Schools; 9. Families; 10. The legal profession; Conclusion.

Über Autor(innen)

Vischer, Robert K
Robert K. Vischer is associate professor at University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis. Professor Vischer's scholarship explores the intersection of law, religion, and public policy, with a particular focus on the religious and moral dimensions of professional identity. His writings have appeared in a number of scholarly journals, magazines, and blogs.