Making Choices: Practical Wisdom for Everyday Moral Decisions

by Peter Kreeft

Book Overview

"It's a moral jungle out there," writes Peter Kreeft. In Making Choices he describes why we find decision-making so difficult and living with our choices even harder. With penetrating wisdom, good humor, and common sense, Peter Kreeft draws a map through the everyday jungle of moral choices, one simple enough for the believer and convincing enough for the skeptic. This book clears a straight road through the thorny jungles of skewed modern...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892836385
• ISBN13: 9780892836383
• Release Date: February 1990
• Publisher: Servant Publications
• Length: 218 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Moral philosophy for everyday life

This is another of Peter Kreeft's typically illuminative books, on the largely-neglected topic of moral reasoning. Kreeft spends the first part of the book simply establishing the basic truths that once upon a time were obvious, but not in the present day - that moral laws exist and are knowable by human reason; that they are "built into" the universe, and thus true whether we know them or not; that moral relativism is self-refuting; and that morality ultimately derives from God (in Dostoevsky's words, "If there is no God, then everything is permissible"). His discussion of the Greatest Good is also very sharp, especially in its discussion of ends and means. Part Four, in which he engages topics of Sex, Abortion, and Truth in greater detail, is really the meat of the book, and where Kreeft most directly engages modern culture. His discussion of sex in terms of sacredness is wonderfully clear - understanding sex as sacred simultaneously avoids both errors of hedonism on the one hand, and repression on the other. "Christian morality is based on human nature, on the kind of thing we are, and the kind of thing sex is. It is not the changeable rules of a game we designed, but the unchangeable rules of the operating manual written by the Designer of our human nature." Kreeft's bit on our society's confusion between sex and money is utterly incisive - we use sex as a mere means of exchange (of pleasure), but we erect all manner of legal protections around money, treating it as virtually sacred, even expecting it to reproduce and grow. Priceless. Kreeft's aim here is not ethereal or theoretical - this is not pie-in-the-sky, "out there" moral philosophy. He means to give real people real tools for living real lives in the real world, and in this, he succeeds admirably

A great help in understanding how to make moral decisions

Peter Kreeft is my favorite author. His books are always intelligent and thought provoking. This book discusses many issues some of them are; moral absolutes, religion & morality, values, and how to know Gods will .I like the way he sums up his thoughts, and offers helpful ideas, in one chapter he has 12 boxes that morality won't fit in, in another he writes of the most critical issues of our time, he also talks of simplicity and the loss of the sacred in our culture. The 7 principles for knowing Gods will and the 7 power aids of the Holy Spirit were very useful. This is a book I would recommend to anyone wanting to understand how to think more clearly in these times of moral relativism.

Black and White, thank goodness!

Peter Kreeft has written a great little book for all those who are tired of hearing 'it's not so black and white'. Kreeft does an excellent job of explaining, simply and clearly, that right and wrong are objective - regardless of whether or not it is easy or makes someone happy. Kreeft also clears up some moral misconceptions like 'if it doesn't hurt anyone else, then it's ok' and 'the end justifies the means'. Also included in this book is an excellent discussion, scientifically based, on why abortion is objectively wrong (such as the fact that science has always defined a fetus as another human life, science has never been able to come up with a concrete time limit on so-called viability, and that a fetus has a distinct human genetic code that is separate from it's mother's).While in reading this book Kreeft does spend some time talking about God and his Christian faith, his arguments are philosophically and scientifically sound across the religious spectrum. Regardless of a reader's religion/athiesm, Kreeft's logic applies. While Kreeft argues that morality comes from God, he also demonstrates that one need not know that or believe in God to understand and use objective morals.This book is highly recommended for all readers who need help with a good strategy for making choices. It would also make an excellent gift for the person in your life who constantly argues that their morality is relative.

Moral wisdom and guidance

"Making Choices" is a book I would recommend to any person in any stage of life. The intensity of the content is coupled with the author's clear and candid writing. This book provides concrete information in a manner that's easy to follow, something that isn't always easy to do when speaking of morality. This book holds truths that unlock the path to happiness in this lifetime and following God's will. "Making Choices" clarifies a topic that is often as clear as mud in today's world. The author summarizes, uses analogies and metaphors, and makes moral absolutes and choices a concept simple for all people to learn, not just philosophers or theologians. If put into practice, this book will change lives for the greater good.

An amazing and powerful book

I have recommended this book to so many friends who are struggling with making choices. It provides solid arguments based on moral absolute truths. Buy it!