Avant-propos - Studia Moralia

truth which the encyclical acknowledges to be present in otherwise
erroneous philosophical theories.
Read, however, in the context of Bauman’s broader theory it
is clear that the tenet could be interpreted as saying much more
than what has just been indicated. Divergences emerge if, for instance,
as Bauman clearly intends, the “moral self” does not include
the capacity to reason, the capacity to evaluate one’s own
actions relative to some objective standards of truth and goodness
and the capacity to freely commit oneself to the obedience
of an ethical code which one has not oneself formulated.
Conclusion
CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF POSTMODERNISM?... 257
There seems to be little doubt that, measured against such a
vision of morality as we find in Fides et ratio, Bauman’s “postmodern
ethics” proves to be quite incompatible with the mainline
christian ethical tradition. Does this mean that “nothing
good can come out of postmodernism”? Without denying the potentially
destructive nature of this vision of morality, it is possible,
by way of conclusion, to enumerate a certain number of positive
aspects of a direct and indirect nature.
Postmodernism, including the version of morality proposed
by Bauman, does constitute a critique of modernism. If it is true,
contrary to what postmodernists believe, that the dominant cultural
form is still modernity, then postmodernity can help the
christian in formulating a critique of that culture.
Even though Bauman’s understanding of morality proves incoherent
and superficial by the standards of Catholic ethical
thought, it can nonetheless be of service in describing (rather
than prescribing) how considerable numbers of people live their
lives in contemporary culture. The challenge to the christian,
and particularly to the theologian, is then to achieve as much
clarity as possible concerning the divergence between a postmodern
understanding of ethics and a Catholic one. Only someone
who is clear about this difference will be able to understand
and possibly overcome the considerable obstacles which stand
in the way of communicating a christain ethical vision in contemporary
culture.
Another good thing which might come out of postmod-