The paper argues for new concepts in theological ethics: structures of virtue and structures of vice. The Catholic tradition’s development of the ‘structures of sin’ in the 1970’s and 80’s was a significant contribution to magisterial teaching. However, this concept should be updated in light of the trajectory and concepts of post-Vatican II theological ethics. The article proceeds in two parts...

A widely accepted idea of clinical science is that it seeks the truth and that the knowledge acquired should be of benefit to patients. Therefore, as clinical researchers, we give response to two concerns deeply rooted in the human nature: The desire to know and the need to help someone suffering. However, the ideas and values that sustain clinical research, and take it to its most genuine obje...

I raise four issues that militate against adopting virtue ethics as a guiding concept: (a) In the resolution of most ethics cases, virtue ethics is irrelevant; (b) there is substantial redundancy between virtue and principle ethics; (c) acting and deciding are unavoidable tasks for which principle ethics is particularly suitable; and (d) the emphasis on character and community wisdom increases ...