Ethics

My first Philosophy class was Ethics at St. Louis University taught by Fr. Cantwell SJ. He was well past age 70 and was the embodiment of wisdom.  He said: “Ethics is “you are responsible for yourself and nobody else is responsible for you. He then added: “If someone falls and breaks their leg and you see them, then you are responsible for helping them.”  So our responsibility for others depends on proximity and circumstances. This is consistent with the parable of the “Good Sumaritan” told by Jesus in Luke 10:25–37. 

He also talked about the responsibility of parents and families for their children and said that we had a responsibility for our children to teach them to be self-sufficient, but if they were physically or mentally disabled, parents and families were responsible for their care. I had seen parents and families deal with disabilities and understood what he was talking about.

Fr. Cantwell was also the embodiment of the “Conservative”.  He believed in families as our basic economic unit and he believed in the free market economy. He was equally opposed to government sponsored socialism and other forms of political corruption. 

He was a Jesuit Priest and lived in the Jesuit community that was supported, in part, by charitable contributions, but he was fully aware of how the private economy operated and was vehemently dedicated to constitutional principles.

He embraced “free will” as a condition of our humanity and believed that we function best in a society that recognizes freedom as an inalienable right.  He also knew that those who were dangerous criminals would experience banishment as a consequence for their actions and considered that appropriate punishment.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader