This slim volume achieves the nearly impossible. Thirty years of hard work are represented in a package that manages three things; it offers a comprehensive moral theory that solves many of the ancient puzzles of moral philosophy; it does so in language that is jargon-free and understandable by any attentive reader, and finally it is a complete reference book for any number of disciplines.
Lawyers can learn that honesty is a moral virtue, amongst other things. Teachers can use it as a textbook for teenagers. The book can also be useful for the penal system. It should be very useful for introductory philosophy courses, and a number of other uses.
But most importantly, the ordinary thoughtful person will find it a guide to a sane and happy life. For example it gives a rational approach to anger management by distinguishing between rational anger and irrational anger, something most anger books fail to mention. Guilt is another moral emotion that can be treated rationally. Most people feel guilty about the WRONG wrong things! Much of what goes awry in marriages is a failure of one or both of the partners to use proper moral reasoning; understanding the moral aspects of a partnership, can reduce the intense emotionality of family quarrels.
We all make moral judgments all the time, but most of the time quite unconsciously, and often we make a moral judgment first and then twist the facts around to suit our judgment. Obviously we should examine the facts first, and then make a moral judgment, one not based on the untutored conscience, but on solid moral reasoning. There are numerous other common fallacies, many of them created by eminent philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and David Hume, and we should all be aware of these fallacies. The Catechism is a set of appended questions, which help to apply the theory present in this little powerhouse of a book.
