Man in the Field of Responsibility

SinopseMan in the Field of Responsibility

In 1972, Karol Wojtyla, then Cardinal Archbishop of Cracow and professor at the Catholic University of Lublin, began writing a book on ethics with his former student, Tadeusz Styczeń. Though the manuscript was discussed among Wojtyla and his colleagues, it remained unfinished when he was elected Pope in 1978. In 1991, with John Paul II’s approval, Styczeń published it, and now, for the first time, it is available in English.

This work shifts from the focus on sexual ethics in Love and Responsibility (1960) to broader ethical questions and was intended as a continuation of Person and Act (1969). Here, Wojtyla analyzes morality itself, integrating Aristotelian-Thomistic ethics with Kantian normativity and Scheler’s value-based approach. His synthesis balances a metaphysical realism inspired by Aquinas with modern subjectivity, offering an ethics deeply attentive to the human person, in contrast to Utilitarianism and Kantianism. This perspective influenced his 1994 encyclical Veritatis Splendor.

Man in the Field of Responsibility, John Paul II’s last philosophical book, provides insight into his thought on morality, freedom, and human fulfillment—key themes of his papacy. This English edition, translated by Kenneth W. Kemp and Zuzanna Maslanka Kieron, is an essential resource for those studying John Paul II’s philosophy and Catholic ethics.