Prudenza e discernimento morale alla scuola di Tommaso d’Aquino

Abstract

The subject of moral discernment appears inescapable in contemporary morality. This evidence is suggested not only by the increasing difficulty with which the subject succeeds in knowing and appreciating the moral law in a context now far removed from traditional Christian references. Even when the norm is abstractly known and shared, the subject is not always able to apply it to the concrete situation in a satisfactory manner. This is evident in every moment of civil and ecclesial life and is particularly relevant both in the public pastoral sphere (preaching, management of structures) and in pastoral care (spiritual direction and confession). This situation appears to be due to a secular and unilateral insistence on the theme of moral conscience, which lacks however a proportionate reference to the theme of the Virtues, especially of Prudence. The contemporary rediscovery of Virtue Ethics can
only benefit a positive process of maturation in the moral subject, called to discern and practice the good.