GERMAIN GRISEZ BIBLIOGRAPHY Compiled by James T. Bretzke, S.J. Professor of Moral Theology Boston College School of Theology & Ministry Last Update: September 10, 2016 Table of Contents Articles by Grisez............................................................... 1 Books by Grisez Alone........................................................... 3 Works Co-Edited/Authored by Grisez............................................... 3 Secondary Works on Grisez....................................................... 4
GERMAIN GRISEZ BIBLIOGRAPHY Grisez held the Flynn Chair in Christian Ethics at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland until his retirement. Articles by Grisez Grisez, Germain G. Against Consequentialism. Journal of Jurisprudence 23 (1978): 21-73.. "`Every Marital Act Ought to Be Open to New Life': Toward of Clearer Understanding." The Thomist 52 (1988): 365-426.. "History as Argument for Revision in Moral Theology," The Thomist 55 (1991): 103-116. An extremely critical and rather narrow-minded review of John Mahoney, S.J.'s The Making of Moral Theology: A Study of the Roman Catholic Tradition, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987).. "How to Deal with Theological Dissent," Homiletic and Pastoral Review. 87 (November 1986). Theological dissent is like a cancer growing in the Church's organs and interfering with her vital functions. Also in Readings in Moral Theology, No. 6: Dissent in the Church, 442-472. Edited by Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick, S.J. New York: Paulist Press, 1988.. "Infallibility and Moral Norms: A Review Discussion." In Readings in Moral Theology, No. 6: Dissent in the Church, 58-96. Edited by Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick, S.J. New York: Paulist Press, 1988. Originally appeared in The Thomist.. "Kant and Aquinas: Ethical Theory." The Thomist 21 (1958): 44-78.. "Magisterium's Responsibility and Public Dissent." In Teaching the Catholic Faith: Central Questions for the '90's, 155-160. Proceedings of the Thirteenth Convention of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1990. Edited by Msgr. Eugene V. Clark. New York: St. John's University Edition, with the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, 1991.
Originally appeared in «Humanae vitae»: 20 anni dopo. Atti del II Congresso Internazionale di Teologia Morale, Roma, 9-12 novembre 1988. Milano: Edizioni Ares, 1989. The Fellowship of Catholic Scholars was founded in 1977 and includes, among others, Joseph Fessio, S.J., Germain Grisez, James Hitchcock, Donald Keefe, S.J., Msgr. George A. Kelly, Ronald Lawler, OFM, Cap., William E. May, Msgr. William Smith, et. al.. "Moral Absolutes: A Critique of the View of Joseph Fuchs, SJ." Anthropos 2 (1985): 155-201.. "The Moral Basis of Law." The Thomist 32 (1968): 283-306.. "A New Formulation of a Natural-Law Argument against Contraception." The Thomist 30 (1966): 343-361.. "Natural Law and the Fundamental Principles of Morality." Chapter 7 in The Way of the Lord Jesus. Volume One: Christian Moral Principles, 173-204. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1983. Grisez follows a manualistic format in organizing his material into "Questions" followed by point-by-point responses. This volume is the first of a projected three volume work.. "Revelation versus dissent." The Tablet 247 (16 October 1993): 1329-1331. One of a series of articles from a variety of theologians commenting on Veritatis Splendor.. "The Structures of Practical Reason: Some Comments and Clarifications." The Thomist 52 (1988): 269-291. Reply to Brian V. Johnstone, C.Ss.R.'s article, "The Structure of Practical Reason: Traditional Theories and Contemporary Questions" The Thomist 50 (1986): 417-446.. "A Tentative Problematic for a Philosophy of the Social Sciences." The Thomist 25 (1962): 537-554. ******** 2
Books by Grisez Alone Grisez, Germain. Abortion: The Myths, the Realities, and the Arguments. New York: Corpus Books, 1970. En español: El Aborto, mitos, realidades y argumentos. Salamanca: Sígueme, 1972.. Contraception and the Natural Law. Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Co., 1964. Grisez's thesis is that "For one who engages in sexual intercourse directly to will any positive deed by which conception is thought to be prevented, or even rendered less probable, is intrinsically and seriously immoral" (p. 12).. Contraception...Is It Always Wrong? Huntington IN: Our Sunday Visitor, 1965.. The Way of the Lord Jesus. Volume One: Christian Moral Principles; Volume Two: Living a Christian Life. Volume Three: Difficult Moral Questions. Chicago: Franciscan Herald Press, 1983, 1993, 1997. First three volumes of a projected four-volume work. -------- Works Co-Edited/Authored by Grisez Finnis, John, and Grisez, Germain. "The Basic Principles of Natural Law: A Reply to Ralph McInerny." In Readings in Moral Theology, No. 7: Natural Law and Theology, 157-170. Edited by Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick, S.J. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1991. Originally appeared American Journal of Jurisprudence in 1981; See McInerny's earlier article in the same periodical (1980), or the version published in the same volume of Readings. Ford, John C., S.J., and Grisez, Germain. "Contraception and the Infallibility of the Ordinary Magisterium." Theological Studies 39 (1978): 258-312. 3
The authors argue that the teaching on contraception fulfills the requirements to be considered infallible, and therefore binding and irreformable. Grisez, Germain, with the help of Joseph Boyle et. al. The Way of the Lord Jesus. Volume 3: Difficult Moral Questions. Quincy IL: Franciscan Press, 1997. Deals with a wide variety of moral cases using a method of description, analysis, and a suggested reply. Grisez, Germain, and Shaw, Russell. Fulfillment in Christ: A Summary of Christian Moral Principles. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1991. Intended as a sort of summary and simpler exposition of the moral theology set forth in Grisez's The Way of the Lord Jesus. May, William E.; Grisez, Germain; and Finnis, John. "Indissolubility, Divorce and Holy Communion." New Blackfriars 75 (1994): 321-330. ******** Secondary Works on Grisez Ashley, Benedict M., O.P. "Christian Moral Principles: A Review Discussion." The Thomist 48 (1984): 450-460. Biggar, Nigel, and Black, Rufus, eds. The Revival of Natural Law: Philosophical and Theological Essays on the Finnis-Grisez School. Brookfield VT: Ashgate, 2000. Charlton, William. Natural Law, Aquinas, and the Magisterium. New Blackfriars 2014. ( p u b l i s h e d o n l i n e 2 7 D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 4 a t http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nbfr.12108/pdf). Author provided Abstract: The Catholic Church claims that its ethical teaching, especially on sex, is based upon natural law. I first show that natural law theories prior to the Middle 4
Ages provide no authority for the Church s teaching on sex. I then examine Aquinas s teaching on natural functions and natural law in the two Summae. I suggest that he partly anticipates Enlightenment thinking about law and morals. I compare his theory of natural law with that of Germain Grisez and John Finnis. Finally, I examine the notion of a principle of practical reasoning and indicate how such principles could be formulated to correspond to elements in human nature. Connor, Robert A. "Natural Law versus the `Contralife Will'." Divus Thomas 93 (1990): 32-57. Examines the position of Ford, Grisez, Boyle, Finnis, and May on Humanae vitae (i.e., that contraception is evil because it is "contra-life"), and argues that the moral theory of the encyclical would be better served by considering its grounding in the objectivity of the Thomistic esse of the person. Cooke, Vincent M., S.J. "Moral Obligation and Metaphysics." Thought 66 (March, 1991): 65-74. Cooke argues that ultimately any coherent theory of moral obligation must rest on a moral metaphysics which posits an intelligent and good Creator. He critiques several recent philosophers and theologians, such as Grisez and Finnis, for avoiding this metaphysical issue. George Robert P. "Liberty under the Moral Law: On B. Hoose's Critique of the Grisez-Finnis Theory of Human Good." The Heythrop Journal 34 (1993): 175-182. Attacks Hoose's article, "Proportionalists, Deontologists and the Human Good," The Heythrop Journal 33 (1992): 175-191. Hoose has a response to George under the title "Basic Goods: Continuing the Debate." The Heythrop Journal 35 (1994): 58-63. George is at Princeton Univeristy. George, Robert P., ed. Natural Law and Moral Inquiry: Ethics, Metaphysics, and Politics in the Work of Germain Grisez. With a Response by Germain Grisez and Joseph Boyle, Jr. Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 1998. Hallett, Garth L. Greater Good: The Case of Proportionalism. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1995. 5
Hallett proposes judging acts using a norm he calls Value Maximization. He defines this norm and offers a full response to such critics of all forms of proportionalism as Finnis and Grisez. Herdt, Jennifer A. Free Choice, Self-Referential Arguments, and the New Natural Law. American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly 72 (4/1998): 581-600. Critiques the new natural law theory of Grisez, Finnis, Boyle, et. al. as being flawed in its presentation of free choice in reference to the commensurability issue of weighing options amongst the so-called basic goods. The theorists argue that no one may ever legitimately choose an action which would ever, regardless of any other consideration, be judged as acting against any of the basic goods. Herdt argues that this position seriously attacks the essential understanding of the inter-relation between freedom and choice, since free choice means, among other things, being able to weigh options amongst goods and evils in the concrete and making one s choice in conformity as to which is the greater realizable good (to choose), or the worse evil (which is to be avoided). Hittinger, Russell. A Critique of the New Natural Law Theory. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1987. Critique of the natural law theories of Germain Grisez and John Finnis. Negatively reviewed (!) by William E. May in Linacre Quarterly 55 (November, 1988): 85-87. Hoose, Bernard. "Proportionalists, Deontologists and the Human Good." The Heythrop Journal 33 (1992): 175-191. Discusses the theories of Germain Grisez in terms of the human good, and his extreme reluctance to accept even the hypothetical possibility of disagreeing with the Magisterium. Hoose goes on to clarify part of the problematic of the incommensurability of goods associated with the proportionalist school. Hoose is currently on the faculty of Heythrop College. See also the response by Robert P. George, "Liberty under the Moral Law: On B. Hoose's Critique of the Grisez-Finnis Theory of Human Good." The Heythrop Journal 34 (1993): 175-182. Hoose has a response to George under the title "Basic Goods: Continuing the Debate." The Heythrop Journal 35 (1994): 58-63. 6
Jensen, Steven. Knowing the Natural Law. From Precepts and Inclinations to Driving Oughts. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2015. Treats, and critiques, to a limited extent the New Natural Law theorists. Reviewed by James T. Bretzke, S.J. in Catholic Books Review: An Online Journal http://catholicbooksreview.org/2016/jensen.html (Posted January 26, 2016). At the time of the book s publication Jensen was an associate professor of philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Johnstone, Brian V., C.Ss.R. "The Structure of Practical Reason: Traditional Theories and Contemporary Questions." The Thomist 50 (1986): 417-446. Discusses Grisez. See reply by Germain Grisez, "The Structures of Practical Reason: Some Comments and Clarifications." The Thomist 52 (1988): 269-291. Johnstone is Professor of Moral Theology at the Alphonsianum in Rome. Lammers, Stephen E., and Verhey, A., eds. On Moral Medicine: Theological Perspectives in Medical Ethics. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1987. An outgrowth of a project undertaken by the Park Ridge Center. Essays treat the following ethicians: Paul Ramsey, James M. Gustafson, Stanley Hauerwas, Richard McCormick, William F. May, James F. Childress, Germain Grisez, Immanuel Jakobovits, and Bernard Häring. McInerny, Ralph. "The Principles of Natural Law." In Readings in Moral Theology, No. 7: Natural Law and Theology, 139-156. Edited by Charles E. Curran and Richard A. McCormick, S.J. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1991. Originally appeared in American Journal of Jurisprudence in 1980. See reply by John Finnis and Germain Grisez. Mobbs, Frank. "Is Natural Law Part of Revelation? The Answers of the Manualists, Germain Grisez and Timothy O'Connell." Irish Theological Quarterly 59 (1993): 188-203. 7
Holds that Grisez and O'Connell are using different concepts of the natural law, and so the claims made about the relationship of Revelation and natural law will necessarily be different claims. Porter, Jean. Direct and Indirect in Grisez s Moral Theory. Theological Studies 57 (1996): 611-632. Argues that Grisez s use of the terms direct and indirect depart from traditional doubleeffect reasoning, and that his reference to the distinction in terms of a relationship to his theory of basic goods ultimately is not cogent, and that his distinction reflects prior moral judgments which the distinction serves to justify after the fact. (P. 612) Ramsey, Paul. "Abortion: A Review Article [Callahan; Grisez; et. al.] The Thomist 37 (1973): 174-226. Ramsey is a well-known Protestant ethician who taught at Yale for many years, and died in 1988. Salzman, Todd A. The Basic Goods Theory and Revisionism: A Methodological Comparison on the Use of Reason and Experience as Sources of Moral Knowledge. The Heythrop Journal 42 (October 2001): 423-450. Compares and contrasts Grisez Finnis Basic Goods Theory with contemporary revisionists such as Fuchs, giving a good analysis of some of the methodological presuppositions of the Grisez-Finnis theory which are difficult to support from sound epistemological perspectives. Salzman concludes that the that the Grisez-Finnis Basic Goods Theory ultimately attributes the ultimate authority to interpret and explain reason and experience and their relevance in discerning moral truth to the magisterium, [while] revisionism attributes certain autonomy to these sources of moral knowledge, regardless of whether or not the magisterium recognizes or acknowledges their contributions to the discernment process and notes that while the Grisez Finnis approach may be commendable from a certain ecclesiological perspective, such deference may be at the expense of moral truth from an ethical perspective. Past errors in Catholic moral doctrine on issues such as slavery, usury and religious freedom support a revision interpretation of the role and function of reason and experience in ethical method. Such errors warrant caution in positing absolute specific norms in light of conflicting arguments derived from reason and human experience. p. 446. 8
Schultz, Janice L. "Thomistic Metaethics and a Present Controversy." The Thomist 52 (1988): 40-62. Discusses Finnis and Grisez. Smith, Robert J. Conscience and Catholicism: The Nature and Function of Conscience in Contemporary Roman Catholic Moral Theology. Lanham MD: University Press of America, 1998. Compares and contrasts the views of Germain Grisez and Bernard Häring as representatives to the non-revisionist and revisionist schools of moral theology. Smith is Asst. Professor of Theology and Interdisciplinary Studies at St. Mary s University of Minnesota in St. Paul. ******** 9