[Peace-discuss] Jesuitism

[C. G. Estabrook]

I'm not sure what point you're making with these citations, Ron, but they lead me to note that "casuistry" has a neutral sense as well as a pejorative one.

In the neutral sense, it's the art (or science) of applying general principles - usually ethical ones -- to specific situations.

E.g., we generally agree that people have a right not to be killed (i.e., one should not take a human life): deciding how that applies to my specific situation (May I kill someone who attacks me? Who threatens to attack me? etc.) is a matter of casuistry.

The pejorative sense arises from the notion that casuistry is often done badly, by accident or design. (Note that the Jonsen/Toulmin book is called _The *Abuse* of Casuistry_.)  --CGE


On Mar 15, 2013, at 4:41 PM, "Szoke, Ronald Duane" <r-szoke at illinois.edu> wrote:

> From the online dictionary:  
> 
> Jesuitism [ˈdʒɛzjʊɪˌtɪzəm], Jesuitry
> n
> 1. (Christianity / Roman Catholic Church) theology or practices of the Jesuits
> 2. Informal   offensive subtle and equivocating arguments; casuistry
> Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
> 
> Jesuitism
> 1. the doctrines, practices, etc., of the Jesuit order of priests.
> 2. Disparaging, lower case.  casuistry or equivocation. Also Jesuitry. — Jesuitic, Jesuitical, adj.
> See also: Catholicism
> crafty or deceitful practice. — jesuitic, jesuitical, adj.
> See also: Cunning
> ------
> ca·su·ist·ry  (kzh--str)
> n. pl. ca·su·ist·ries
> 1. Specious or excessively subtle reasoning intended to rationalize or mislead.
> 2. The determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules.
> [From casuist.]
> The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
> casuistry [ˈkæzjʊɪstrɪ]
> n pl -ries
> 1. (Philosophy) Philosophy the resolution of particular moral dilemmas, esp those arising from conflicting general moral rules, by careful distinction of the cases to which these rules apply
> 2. reasoning that is specious, misleading, or oversubtle
> Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
> casuistry
> 1. the branch of ethics or theology that studies the relation of general ethical principles to particular cases of conduct or conscience.
> 2. a dishonest or oversubtle application of such principles.
> See also: Ethics
> --------
> Respect for the Truth
> 
> 1740  2488  The _right to the communication_ of the truth is not unconditional.  Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.
> 
>   2489  Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every _request for information or communication._   The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not to be known or for making use of a discreet language.  The duty to avoid scandal  _2284_  often commands strict discretion.  No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.  \283
> 
> From:  _Catechism of the Catholic Church_, Second edition (1994, 1997), page 596.  
> ----------
> See also:  
> Albert R. Jonsen & Stephen Toulmin, _The Abuse of Casuistry_:  A History of Moral Reasoning  (University of California Press, 1988), 420 pages.  
>   Jesuits:  see Index, p. 414.   
> ________________________________________