Luther-Agricola Society

Prisms of Moral Personhood

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Despite the popularity of moral philosophy and ethical literature it is not clear whether any joint issues belie the multiplicity of ethical approaches. Still, ethical theories are usually philosophical explications of the moral language people use and of the institution of morality. These explications cannot be made without referring to human beings as moral persons. In this sense, “person” is one of the most central conceptions in any moral theory irrespective of its form.

The present study takes the centrality of the concept of a person as its starting point and proceeds to ask how different kinds of moral theories imply the concept of a person, which kinds of concept of a person are included in such theories and finally, what significance the concept has for understanding the nature of moral theories. These questions are explored by using models of three different types of ethical theories — utilitarian, contractarian and virtue theories — as material for the analysis. The analysis reveals three different types of a “moral person”. Theories which belong to the same group on the basis of the form of the normative moral theory represent a similar concept of a person which, again, differs from the notions of “person” provided by the other two groups of theories.

The theories of Richard Brandt, Richard M. Hare and Derek Parfit form the basis for the examination of the utilitarian theories in the study. The utilitarian concept of a person is a desiring agent who aims to realize her preferences by her action. The role of morality is to qualify the way in which the person naturally acts but moral and non-moral action do not basically deviate from each other. The contractarian theories which the study examines are by John Rawls, David Gauthier and Alan Gewirth. These theories define the constituents of moral personhood through the sufficient and necessary conditions of intentional action. The same conditions also explicate the foundation of the institution of morality: it is based on a contract guaranteeing everyone the conditions by virtue of which their intentional agency becomes possible.

Thirdly, the study examines two schools of thinking in modern virtue ethics, the first including the theories of Philippa Foot and James Wallace and the second those of Martha Nussbaum, Alasdair MacIntyre and Charles Taylor. The notion which emerges from these theories can best be characterized as a narrative conception of a person: a person is the narrative of her life, something that is determined by historical and cultural contingency.

The last part of the study analyses the significance of the concept of a person as far as moral theories are concerned. The definition of the morally relevant and the notion of a moral person are closely connected. Moral theories are models for a good life and they are always designed for a certain kind of a person. In this sense, every moral theory incorporates a conception of a person within its premises. This conception is not ethically neutral but implies a view of what is good, normal or meaningful in and for a human life. This result gives rise to a conclusion that has a practical bearing: the concept of a person cannot be used as a basis for solving ethical disputes, for each version of the concept is likely to imply positions that are already normatively loaded.

Unio

Thu, 23 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Matti Repo and Rainer Vinke

Articles

Eeva Martikainen: Die Unio im Brennpunkt der theologischen Forschung
Simo Peura: Gott und Mensch in der Unio. Die Unterschiede im Rechtfertigungsverständnis bei Osiander und Luther
Rune Söderlund: Der Unio-Gedanke in der Konkordienformel
Theodor Mahlmann: Die Stellung der unio cum Christo in der lutherischen Theologie des 17. Jahrhunderts
Martti Vaahtoranta: Unio und Rechtfertigung bei Johann Gerhard
Matti Repo: Die christologische Begründung der Unio in der Theologie Johann Arndts
Rainer Vinke: Der Unio-Gedanke in der Theologie des Pietismus
Simo Knuuttila: Uniometaphysik und lutherische Orthodoxie im Turku des 17. Jahrhunderts
Leif Erikson: Unio in der Theologie Fredrik Gabriel Hedbergs
Oswald Bayer: Das Wunder der Gottesgemeinschaft. Eine Besinnung auf das Motiv der "unio" bei Luther und im Luthertum
Gunther Wenz: Unio. Zur Differenzierung einer Leitkategorie finnischer Lutherforschung im Anschluss and CA I–VI
Tuomo Mannermaa: Über die Unmöglichkeit, gegen Texte Luthers zu systematisieren. Antwort an Gunther Wenz
Maarit Hytönen: Unio in der Reformation der Reformation nach der evangelisch-katholischen Theologie Friedrich Heilers

Thesaurus Lutheri

Tuomo Mannermaa, Anja Ghiselli, Simo Peura — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Tuomo Mannermaa, Anja Ghiselli, and Simo Peura

Articles

Tuomo Mannermaa: Grundlagenforschung der Theologie Martin Luthers und die Ökumene
Rudolf Malter: Luther und die Geschichte der Metaphysik
Simo Knuuttila: Remarks on Late Medieval and Early Modern Theories about Eternal Truths
Peter Manns: Zum Gespräch zwischen M. Luther und der katholischen Theologie. Begegnung zwischen patristisch-monastischer und reformatorischer Theologie and der Scholastik vorbei
Eero Huovinen: Fides infantium – fides infusa? Ein Beitrag zum Verständnis des Kinderglaubens bei Luther
Simo Peura: Der Vergöttlichungsgedanke in Luthers Theologie 1518—1519
Risto Saarinen: Ipsa dilectio Deus est. Zur Wirkungsgeschichte von 1. Sent. dist. 17 des Petrus Lombardus bei Martin Luther
Eeva Martikainen: Der Doctrina-Begriff in Luthers Theologie
Reijo Työrinoja: Nova vocabula et nova lingua. Luther's Conception of Doctrinal Formulas
Heikki Kirjavainen: Die Spezifizierung der Glaubensgegenstände bei Luther im Licht der spätmittelalterlichen Semantik
Miikka Ruokanen: Does Luther have a Theory of Biblical Inspiration?
Hans-Christian Daniel: Luthers Ansatz der claritas scripturae in den Schriften Assertio omnium articulorum und Grund und Ursach aller Artikel (1520/1521)
Juha Pihkala: Die Anwesenheit Christi und die Taufe in der Auslegungsgeschichte der lutherischen Tauflehre
Antti Raunio: Die "Goldene Regel" als theologisches Prinzip beim jungen Luther

William Ockham's Theory of the Foundations of Ethics

Taina M. Holopainen — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The aim of this study is to analyse the structure of William Ockham’s theory of ethics as it can be found in his theological and philosophical writings. The study consists of three chapters. The first one gives a general idea of Ockham’s philosophical anthropology and concludes that Ockham’s voluntaristic conception of the will as a source of free choice is essential in view of his ethics. The second chapter treats Ockham’s conception of practical knowledge. It shows that knowledge has no other final cause than the one a knower himself intends. A further inquiry concerns Ockham’s distinction between ostensively practical and dictatively practical knowledge. The distinction turns out to be very similar to Kant’s distinction between hypothetical and categorical imperatives. It becomes obvious that ethics diverges from the other practical sciences; ethics, like the categorical imperative, directs human action without conditions. The third chapter consists basically of a semantic and a material part. The former concerns the different uses of the term ‘virtuous’. The deontological structure of Ockham’s ethics can be found in the theory according to which the term is predicated of acts of will, some of which are intrinsically and some extrinsically virtuous. A detailed analysis shows how Ockham specifies a basic intrinsically virtuous act which is an act of willing to fulfil moral law qua moral law and how all other acts may be called virtuous through a denominative predication. The first discussion in the latter part deals with the criteria for the moral goodness of an act of will. The subsequent discussion pertains to Ockham’s conception of the foundations of ethics. Morally good action is to fulfil moral obligation. This is a conceptual and necessary truth. Actual moral obligations are introduced by God as a moral authority. Christians should understand divine precepts as a Divine Command ethics. Non-Christians may understand morality as consisting in naturally valid precepts, but in fact they recognize moral obligations through conscience or right reason only because God has made the conscience to recognize them. This is a divine command interpretation of natural morality.

Luther in Finnland

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Miikka Ruokanen

Articles

Some of the copyright holders could not be reached and consequently their articles are omitted from the digitized version. The omitted articles are marked with an asterisk.

Eino Murtorinne: Die Bedeutung Luthers für die finnischen Erweckungsbewegungen im 19. Jahrhundert
Eino Murtorinne: Luthers Bedeutung für die neuere Theologie in Finnland
Leif Erikson: Lutherforschung in Finnland
* Lorenz Grönvik: Der Beitrag des finnischen Luthertums zum heutigen ökumenischen Gespräch
Martti Simojoki: Mein Zugang zur Martin Luther
Lauri Haikola: Melanchthons und Luthers Lehre von der Rechtfertigung
Lennart Pinomaa: Die Dialektik des Glaubens in der Theologie Luthers
Tuomo Mannermaa: Das Verhältnis von Glaube und Liebe in der Theologie Luthers
Heikki Kirjavainen: Luther und Aristoteles: Die Frage der zweifachen Gerechtigkeit im Lichte der transitiven vs. intransitiven Willenstheorie
Eero Huovinen: An der Unsterblichkeit teilhaftig – Das ökumenische Grundproblem in der Todestheologie Luthers
* Jan Aarts: Die Kirche der Glaubenden in Luthers Theologie
Kauko Pirinen: Luther und die Ökumene
Ahti Hakamies: Das "Natürliche" und das "Christliche" in der Ethik
Miikka Ruokanen: Luther und Ekstase

Luther und Ontologie: Das Sein Christi im Glauben als strukturierendes Prinzip der Theologie Luthers

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Anja Ghiselli, Kari Kopperi, and Rainer Vinke

Articles

Some of the copyright holders could not be reached and consequently their articles are omitted from the digitized version. The omitted articles are marked with an asterisk.

Tuomo Mannermaa: Hat Luther eine trinitarische Ontologie?
* Aleksander Radler: Theologische Ontologie und reale Partizipation an Gott in der frühen Theologie Luthers
Simo Peura: Wort Sakrament und Sein Gottes
Albrecht Beutel: Antwort und Wort
* Oswald Bayer: Luthers Verständnis des Seins Jesu Christi im Glauben
Antti Raunio: Sein und Leben Jesu Christi im Glauben bei Luther
* Theodor Jørgensen: Wort und Bild bei Luther
Jouko Martikainen: Bild und Sein Gottes in der Theologie Luthers
Risto Saarinen: Die Teilhabe an Gott bei Luther und in der finnischen Lutherforschung

Widerspruch: Luthers Auseinandersetzung mit Erasmus von Rotterdam

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Kari Kopperi

Articles

Leif Grane: Erasmus und Luther vor dem Streit 1524/25
Eeva Martikainen: Der Begriff "Gott" in De servo arbitrio
Jan Lindhardt: Valla and Luther on the free will
Carl Axel Aurelius: Der Gebrauch des Evangeliums als Schlüssel zum Augsburger Bekenntnis
Antti Raunio: Das liberum arbitrium als göttliche Eigenschaft in Luthers De servo arbitrio
Kari Kopperi: Luther and Renaissance Philosophy: Open Problems

Nordiskt forum för studiet av Luther och luthersk teologi 1

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Tuomo Mannermaa, Petri Järveläinen, and Kari Kopperi

Articles

Steffen Kjeldgaard-Pedersen: Die finnische Beitrag zur heutigen Lutherforschung
Rune Söderlund: Motivforschung und Lutherforschung
Tuomo Mannermaa: Theologische Ontologie bei Luther?
Leif Grane: Johann Reuchlin – Erasmus von Rotterdam – Martin Luther: Verschiedene Ziele und gemeinsame Feinde
Kari Kopperi: Luthers theologische Zielsetzung in den philosophischen Thesen der Heidelberger Disputation

Faith, Will, and Grammar

Heikki Kirjavainen (ed); Heikki Kirjavainen, Risto Saarinen, Reijo Työrinoja — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Heikki Kirjavainen

Articles

Heikki Kirjavainen: The Simultaneity of Faith and Knowledge: Tendencies in Epistemic Logic from Antiquity to High Scholasticism
Risto Saarinen: Moral Weakness and Human Action in John Buridan's Ethics
Reijo Työrinoja: Proprietas Verbi: Luther's Conception of Philosophical and Theological Language in the Disputation: Verbum caro factum est (Joh. 1:14), 1539

Luther und Theosis

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Simo Peura and Antti Raunio

Articles

Some of the copyright holders could not be reached and consequently their articles are omitted from the digitized version. The omitted articles are marked with an asterisk.

* Joachim Heubach: Eröffnung und Begrüssung
Tuomo Mannermaa: Theosis als Thema der finnischen Lutherforschung
Reinhard Slenczka: Die Gemeinschaft mit Gott als Grund und Gegenstand der Theologie. Vergöttlichung als ontologisches Problem
Hannu T. Kamppuri: Theosis in der Theologie des Gregorios Palamas
* Georg Kretschmar: Die Rezeption der orthodoxen Vergöttlichungslehre in der protestantischen Theologie
* Ulrich Asendorf: Die Einbettung der Theosis in die Theologie Martin Luthers
Risto Saarinen: Gottes Sein – Gottes Wirken. Die Grunddifferenz von Substanzdenken und Wirkungsdenken in der evangelischen Lutherdeutung
Simo Peura: Die Teilhabe an Christus bei Luther
Antti Raunio: Die Goldene Regel als Gesetz der göttlichen Natur. Das natürliche Gesetz und das göttliche Gesetz in Luthers Theologie 1522-1523
Eero Huovinen: Opus operatum. Ist Luthers Verständnis von der Effektivität des Sakraments richtig verstanden?
Eeva Martikainen: Die Lehre und die Anwesenheit Gottes in der Theologie Luthers

Caritas Dei: Beiträge zum Verständnis Luthers und der gegenwärtigen Ökumene

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Edited by Oswald Bayer, Robert W. Jenson, and Simo Knuuttila

Redactores Olli Hallamaa, Simo Peura, Antti Raunio, and Rainer Vinke

Articles

Some of the copyright holders could not be reached and consequently their articles are omitted from the digitized version. The omitted articles are marked with an asterisk.

* Ulrich Asendorf: Die ökumenische Bedeutung von Luthers Genesis-Vorlesung (1535–1545)
Carl Axel Aurelius: Heiligkeit und Heiligung
* Oswald Bayer: Endgültig: die erste Liebe
* Friedrich Beißer: Zur Begründung und zum Sinn der Trinitätslehre
Dennis Bielfeldt: The Ontology of Deification
* Hubertus Blaumeiser: Aus der Mitte der Offenbarung in die Mitte des Lebens
* Carl E. Braaten: Creation, Eschatology, Ecology
Fredrik Cleve: Die Interpretation der lutherischen Reformation in einigen finnischen Kirchenliedern
Juhani Forsberg: Die finnische Beitrag zum Dokument Gemeinsame Erklärung zur Rechtfertigungslehre
Leif Grane: Christus finis omnium
Eero Huovinen: Die infusio-Gedanke als Problem der Lutherforschung
Robert W. Jenson: A locus de angelis
Steffen Kjeldgaard-Pedersen: Jene christliche Freiheit, unser Glaube
Simo Knuuttila & Risto Saarinen: Innertrintarische Theologie in der Scholastik und bei Luther
* Peter Manns & Rainer Vinke: Martin Luther als Theologe der Liebe
Eeva Martikainen: Kommunion der Liebe oder Relations der Personen?
* Archbishop Mikhail (Mudyugin): Faith and Love in Salvation
Simo Peura: Christus als Gunst und Gabe
Antti Raunio: Speculatio practica. Das Betrachten Gottes als Ursprung des aktiven Lebens bei Luther
* Martin Seils: Luthers Konzepte zu einem ”Büchlein de iustificatione” (1530)
* Birgit Stolt: ”Herzlich lieb habe ich dich , Herr, meine Stärke” (Ps. 18, 2)
Publikationsliste Tuomo Mannermaa 1961-1997

Probability and Moral Uncertainty in Late Medieval and Early Modern Times

Ilkka Kantola — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0200

This dissertation is a study of the concept of probability and solutions of moral uncertainty problem in the late medieval and early modern period. The term probabile was frequently used in medieval and late medieval moral thought. Many scholars have argued that the medieval conception of probability did not have much in common with the later modern and scientific notions of probability. It is a common view that the emergence of the modern notion of probability took place during
the heated dispute about the moral probabilism of the Jesuits in the Roman-Catholic Church in the second part of the 17th century. The probabilismdiscussions included various attempts to present a definition of probability.

Probability was usually defined as the approvability of an opinion by qualified authorities or experts. This interpretation was based on Aristotle’s concept of ëndoxon in the Topics. Contrary to what has been maintained this notion was not merely subjective or epistemic. Thomas Aquinas and Boethius of Dacia thought that in some cases this kind of probability was derived from a consideration of objective risks. Probability was understood as synonymous with the quasi-statistical terms ut in pluribus and ut frequenter, which terms were utilized in connection with the consideration of certain objective risks, e.g. in jurisdiction and business.

One explanation for the emergence of moral uncertainty discussions and probabilism dispute is the Franciscan-voluntarist view of the psychology of moral decision-making. Will exerts a certain dominion over intellect. In a condition of uncertainty will is able to affect the ultimate conlusions of practical intellect, i.e., conscience. In the voluntarist theory of moral action, compliance with law was contrasted with the freedom of an individual more sharply than earlier. This became the general starting point of the 16th and 17th century discussions about probabilism. This is clear especially in the probabilism of Suárez.

The probabilism of Medina and Suárez tends to give the freedom of an individual preference over an individual’s obedience to probable precepts of law. The probabiliorism of Thyrsus González in the 17th century emphasizes the authority of an individual’s conscience. Contrary to Medina and Suárez, González does not accept uncertainty about the existence of a prescription of law as a justification for acting free as if that prescription would not exist.

Ekumeeninen työkirja : kirkkojen tekstejä 1973-1997

Risto Saarinen (ed.) — Thu, 01 Jan 1998 00:00:00 +0200

Ekumeeninen työkirja (The Ecumenical Workbook) contains translations of core ecumenical documents into Finnish.