Doing Better is a unique book which, drawing on the generalized empirical method of Bernard Lonergan, attempts to provide a fresh approach to ethics. Dunne asks his readers to engage in a number of exercises aimed at allowing them to discover for themselves what the character of moral judgment really is and the ways in which their own consciousness of moral judgment can be used as the foundation for moral theories and categories. Using this method one learns how to evaluate (...) and critique moral theories of the past, present and future, as well as how to engage in fruitful dialog and collaboration on matters of ethics and morality. (shrink)

Among the facts of life that youngsters learn, the one about moral authority can remain unresolved for a lifetime. Once they discover that the list of what’s right and what’s wrong is not cast in stone, they question the moral authority of their parents, religious leaders and government officials. Eventually, they question even their own moral authority. Life teaches them to adjust their assessments of other people, and to reconsider opportunities they think are worth pursuing. They come to understand that (...) anyone’s moral authority is essentially a matter of being objective about what is good. This opens their perspective on what is arguably the most basic issue in moral philosophy: “How do we know what is good?”. (shrink)

Dying patients have more than medical needs. In fact, what they feel most sharply, whether or not they are religious, are spiritual concerns. The Christian theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, properly interpreted and translated to reflect the universal concerns with which they are connected, provide a starting point.