Attentiveness to Vulnerability

This book is an attempt to develop a dialogue between the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, Jean Porter's Thomistic theory of the natural law, and the virtue of solidarity as expressed in Catholic Social Teaching. It seeks to explore the implications that such a dialogue would have for our understanding of moral reasoning.

Attentiveness to Vulnerability rests on the hypothesis that it is possible to develop a set of robust links between these thinkers and bodies of thought--markedly different as they are in terms of philosophical disposition and framework. Such links specify the ethical implications of Levinas' thought and develop Porter's theory in an original way. This work requires further specification through a developed anthropology, which allows for expansion within the tradition of Catholic theological ethics. The inclusion of Levinas and a focus on the virtue of solidarity allows for an advancement of virtue theory and theological ethics, to the extent that the virtue of solidarity becomes a key aspect of any ethical reasoning.

""In a clearly written and carefully developed dialogue, Daniel Fleming probes the relationship between Emmanuel Levinas, Jean Porter, and the virtue of Solidarity. This significant study offers a richer account of the person as relational and of 'flourishing' in virtue ethics. We are indebted to Fleming for refining our attentiveness to the vulnerability of, and our solidarity with, the Other as factors integral to moral judgment and virtuous actions.""
Thomas Ryan, SM, is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Catholic University.


""Attentiveness to Vulnerability makes a valuable and distinctive contribution to moral philosophy and theology by drawing together the natural law theory of Jean Porter, the thought of Emmanuel Levinas, and Catholic social teaching on the virtue of solidarity. By exploring these links, Fleming deepens our awareness of the ways solidarity springs from attentiveness to vulnerability, especially through his proposal to re-conceive the 'preferential option for the poor' as a 'preferential option for the vulnerable.'""
--Robert Gascoigne, Emeritus Professor, School of Theology, Australian Catholic University


Daniel J. Fleming leads ethics and formation for St Vincent's Health Australia, the country's largest Catholic healthcare provider. He is also a senior lecturer in theology and ethics and Honorary Research Associate with the Sydney College of Divinity.