G. Scott Davis

Conscience and Conquest: Francisco de Vitoria on Justice in the New World

The author considers the work of the 16th century Spanish Dominican Francisco de Vitoria on the justice of the conquest of the Americas. He argues that it is essential to read Vitoria’s work in the light of Thomas Aquinas’s views on virtue and conscience. In this light, Vitoria’s condemnation of the Conquistadors is more sweeping than previous interpreters have thought. Finally, the author suggests that there is an important rift between Vitoria’s thought and that of the generations that follow, with important consequences for understanding and applying just war thinking in the modern world.

Richard Rorty and the pragmatic turn in the study of religion

Abstract Recent interest in the pragmatic tradition draws much of its impetus fromthework of Richard Rorty and his critics. This paper argues that Rortys late interest in religion derives from his abiding interests in American liberalism and not specifically from his Pragmatism. Students of religion, however, have much to learn from the pragmatic tradition and over the last 25 years work by Wayne Proudfoot, Jeffrey Stout, and others has been important in establishing a pluralist approach to the study of religion that avoids the pitfalls of foundationalism, essentialism, and dogmatism in understanding religion and religious phenomena. The continued pursuit of this approach, the essay concludes, will help students of religion avoid unnecessary worries about theories and methods.

A Vindication of Theology: A Response to Alain Epp Weaver

Alain Epp Weavers analysis of the theological foundations of Augustines proscription of all lies in all circumstances does more than improve our understanding of Augustine. In drawing a plausible and illuminating parallel between the theological logic of Augustine and the theological logic of John Howard Yoder, Weaver not only succeeds in defining the credibility of Christian pacifism but also provides support for interpreting Yoder as a biblical realist. Moreover, the divergence between Weaver and Christopher Kirwan in their critical assessments of the cogency of Augustinestreatment of lying serves to throw into relief the differences between secular philosophical ethics and theological ethics, incidentally suggesting why it is often difficult for twentieth-century thinkers to understand and evaluate premodern texts.

A Whig History of Ethic: A Review of The Invention of Autonomy by J. B. Schneewind

J. B. Schneewinds The Invention of Autonomy has been hailed as a major interpretation of modern moral thought. Schneewinds narrative, however, elides several serious interpretive issues, particularly in the transition form late medieval to early modern thought. This results in potentially distorted accounts of Thomas Aquinas, Hugo Grotius, and G. W. Leibniz. Since these thinkers play a crucial role in Schneewinds argument, uncertainty over their work calls into question at least some of Schneewinds larger agenda for the history of ethics.

Letters, Notes, & Comments

Comment by Aaron L. Mackler on “‘Through Her I Too Shall Bear a Child’: Birth Surrogates in Jewish Law” by Elie Spitz Reply by Elie Kaplan Spitz Research Note by G. Scott Davis