Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern AuthoritiesCallan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Religion
Moral Theology: A Complete Course Based on St. Thomas Aquinas and the Best Modern Authorities
Callan, Charles J. (Charles Jerome)
Christian ethics -- Catholic authors
(a) Tutiorism, which teaches that the only principle which can change
uncertainty into certainty is: “When one is undecided between the safer
and the less safe, he must always choose the safer,” because only what
is safer excludes the uncertainty of sinning;
(b) Anti-tutiorism, which teaches that the principle given above is
true in a few exceptional cases on account of special reasons, but
untrue as a rule. The general principle which it substitutes for that
of Tutiorism is: “When one is undecided between the safer and the less
safe, one may choose the less safe if it is morally certain.”
673. Of two moral judgments that are compared, it must be noted:
(a) that one is safer which departs more from the danger of sin by
deciding for the stricter side. Example: In doubt whether a law exists,
whether it obliges in a present case, whether its obligation is grave,
the safer opinion is that which holds for the affirmative;
(b) that moral judgment is more likely which is supported by stronger
arguments. Example: That a law has ceased, or does not apply in a
certain case, or does not oblige under sin, is a more likely opinion if
the arguments in its favor outweigh those against it.
674. Thus, it may happen that an opinion which is safer is less likely.
Example: The opinion that the precept of repentance obliges under pain
of new sin from the moment a sin is committed is safer, but less likely
than the opposite opinion.
675. Danger of sin is twofold. (a) Danger of formal sin (see 249, 258)
is a risk taken which involves, not only that an act may be unlawful,
but that the doing of it may be unlawful. Example: Caius eats meat,
doubting whether the day is one of abstinence and whether he is obliged
to abstain or not. (b) Danger of material sin (see 249, 258) is the
danger that an act may be unlawful, not in the concrete or as to its
performance, but in the abstract as to itself. Example: Titus is unable
to discover whether this is a day of abstinence, but he is of the
opinion that it is not. Hence, he takes meat, arguing that, while this
may be a violation of the law, he himself is not guilty of sin, since
he feels that he has a right to eat meat under the circumstances.
676. Tutiorism.--This system has been condemned by the Church, and with
good reason, for the following motives:
(a) If by that which is safer, Tutiorism intends that which is better,
it contradicts the Gospel, which distinguishes between counsel and
precept (see 364 sqq.), commanding what is good, but only recommending
what is better.
(b) If by that which is safer Tutiorism means that which favors law
against liberty, it imposes an intolerable yoke on the consciences of
men; for, while law obliges only in so far as it is promulgated and
known, Tutiorism would bind one to observe, not only what was not known
to be obligatory, but what was held to be most probably not obligatory.
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