Veritatis Splendor and the Persistence of the Law-Conscience Binary in Catholic Moral Theology

This essay considers why the conflict between law and conscience in modern Catholic moral theology Veritatis Splendor sought to overcome has nevertheless persisted in the three decades since its publication. Without the further development of a theory of prudential judgment, Veritatis Splendor cannot adequately address the problem of moral uncertainty that has directly contributed to the law-conscience binary’s enduring influence on contemporary moral theology. After examining the encyclical’s discussion of conscience and the application of moral precepts, the essay explores what a theory of prudential judgment consistent with the teaching of Veritatis Splendor might look like, and how it would differ from the prevailing understanding of moral discernment among contemporary moral theologians. Rather than minimizing the significance of absolute moral norms in response to the problem of moral uncertainty, such an account would instead emphasize the essential role such norms play in any satisfactory solution to this problem.