Catholic Moral Theology and the Virtues: Integrating Psychology in Models of Moral Agency

Abstract

The widespread embrace of virtue ethics in Catholic morality has not overcome sharp disagreement on particular moral issues. The authors argue that more attention be paid to developing the account of what a virtue is (“virtue theory”) in order to connect virtues with individual acts. Building on Thomas Aquinas, the authors suggest social cognitive theory provides key insights into the mechanics of agents “acting from character” and offers an empirical program that can further our understanding of moral disagreement.