Building Your Own Conscience

The nameless reviewer in this article ("Noble but Sophomoric") uses the word "effort" which is merely dismissive, but also the word "sophomoric" which is a cudgel with a spike at the fat end. To be so caustic-especially about a book teaching moral (human) judgment-is at best disingenuous, at worst cowardly. W. J. O'Malley, S.J.

Judge this book for what it is - a high school textbook. Take it from someone who has taught this book for over ten years - this is a fantastic introduction to Catholic ethics for high schoolers. O'Malley has taken fairly complex subjects, i.e. natural law ethics and virtue ethics, and has made them comprehensible and relevent to the lives of teens, no mean feat. I only hope Fr. O'Malley will revise this book that it will and remain in print for many years to come.

This book is a very good, junior high to high school level textbook concerning morality. Its modern approach gives a realistic basis for morality. Although presented from a Christian perspective, any religion will find its message worthwhile.