RT Article
T1 "Seid barmherzig, wie euer Vater barmherzig ist": philosophische Bemerkungen
JF Zeitschrift für katholische Theologie
VO 138
IS 3/4
SP 264
OP 276
A1 Niederbacher, Bruno 1967-
LA German
YR 2016
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1736631934
AB This article attempts to achieve three aims: First, to give a definition of mercy. Mercy, it is argued, is a morally good habit that enables a person to have pity with the misfortune of another person and to help to alleviate it as far as possible. The second aim is to see which role pity can play in terms of normativity and of epistemology. It is argued that pity can, normatively, add moral value only if it is ordered by virtue. Moreover, it is argued that pity can, epistemically, be part of the prima facie justifying grounds of moral beliefs. The third aim is to give an account of the relationship between divine and human mercy. The author portrays metaphysical exemplarism, a theory which is not new, according to which it is the similarity of our actions with God's actions that makes them morally good.