As a secondary school theology teacher, I rarely find a work in moral theology that balances academic rigor with the pastoral and pedagogical needs of high school students. But Dietrich von Hildebrand鈥檚 Ethics (1953) is one of those rare finds. The book remains significant for Catholic moral educators in the 21st century and can help shape our approach to moral formation.
At its heart, Ethics is a rich exploration of the moral life, emphasizing value, freedom and the transcendence of the person. Von Hildebrand鈥檚 analysis provides a compelling counterpoint to the reductionist ethical theories common in contemporary discourse. For secondary educators, it offers a rare opportunity to engage students with foundational moral questions in a way that is both intellectually stimulating and spiritually grounded. His firsthand experience confronting the rise of the Nazi Party 鈥 and his exile from Germany 鈥 gives him a kind of moral authority that can resonate with adolescents in a way more abstract or academic writers cannot.
One of the most striking elements of Ethics is von Hildebrand鈥檚 distinction between what is 鈥渕erely subjectively satisfying鈥 and what is 鈥渋mportant in itself.鈥 In an age of constant social media stimulation and cultural relativism, this distinction helps students identify the difference between fleeting desires and enduring moral truths. His insistence that morality is about giving value its due, not about pursuing personal happiness, challenges students to think of the moral life as a response to something greater than the self. This view directly counters what Charles Taylor describes as the 鈥渂uffered self鈥 鈥 a closed, disenchanted individualism that digital culture has intensified. Von Hildebrand, like Taylor, proposes a recovery of the 鈥減orous self,鈥 open to the transcendent.
Von Hildebrand鈥檚 emphasis on the heart also stands out. He reclaims emotion as central to moral formation, describing the heart not as a passive reactor but as a morally free participant capable of reverent value-response. This understanding of 鈥渃ooperative freedom鈥 is essential for teachers working to form both the intellect and affect of their students. It encourages the kind of moral integration necessary for genuine character development.
His work becomes even more relevant when viewed alongside the rise of mechanistic worldviews shaped by nominalism. Nominalism, with its emphasis on the arbitrary and its detachment of God from creation, has led to a diminished view of both the human person and the moral order. In my classroom, I see the effects: Students often struggle to view themselves as morally free agents. Von Hildebrand provides a vital corrective by reasserting the importance of value, freedom and the call to transcendence.
This call to moral freedom complements the vision found in Servais Pinckaers鈥 The Sources of Christian Ethics. Both thinkers present a vision of freedom not as license, but as the capacity to pursue the good, the true and the beautiful. I often imagine these two texts as a 鈥渙ne-two punch鈥 in the Catholic moral tradition, providing both philosophical depth and theological clarity.
Reading Ethics, I also began to appreciate von Hildebrand鈥檚 influence on the moral theology of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. His emphasis on dignity, transformation and truth echoes in key post-Vatican II documents like Veritatis Splendor, Love and Responsibility, Spe Salvi and Caritas in Veritate. His ideas serve as a philosophical foundation beneath the magisterial articulation of Catholic morality in these texts.
For example, in a classroom discussion on academic dishonesty, students can use von Hildebrand鈥檚 concept of value-response to understand why cheating contradicts human dignity. Similarly, in discussions of Catholic Social Teaching, Caritas in Veritate can be read alongside von Hildebrand鈥檚 understanding of love as an act of the will 鈥 transformational and grounded in truth, not sentimentality. This approach allows students to see Catholic morality not as rules to follow, but as an invitation to live in harmony with reality.
For those new to Ethics, I recommend reading the Prolegomena carefully. Though dense, this introductory section lays essential groundwork for von Hildebrand鈥檚 arguments. His tone is sharp and even playful at times 鈥 especially in his critiques of Nietzsche and Marx 鈥 and his use of Socratic irony adds a refreshing dimension to his philosophical style. He challenges readers to question assumptions and return to fundamental truths.
Reflecting on my career, I see von Hildebrand鈥檚 moral philosophy as vital not only for my own growth but for the formation of future educators. His focus on objective values and ordered freedom challenges both teachers and students to resist the temptation of moral relativism. The call to pursue the 鈥淪upreme Measure鈥 (as St. Augustine described God) offers a meaningful framework for helping students orient their lives toward ultimate truth.
What I find most effective in the classroom is von Hildebrand鈥檚 tone: confident but never condescending, intellectually rigorous yet accessible. He respects his reader, and in doing so, models how we should approach our students 鈥 as thinkers capable of grappling with serious ideas. Teenagers respond best when challenged and respected. Ethics gives us the tools to do just that.
Dietrich von Hildebrand鈥檚 Ethics is not merely a philosophical treatise. It鈥檚 a masterclass in engaging hearts and minds in the pursuit of truth. In a time when moral theology often focuses narrowly on inclusion, identity or structural reform (worthy aims in their place), von Hildebrand reminds us that true moral formation begins with a return to objective values and a hierarchy of goods. As educators, we do not serve our students by simplifying the faith. Instead, we should present it in all its richness, confident that it is not only true but compelling. Ethics equips us to do so.