Moral-theological Conception of Augustin Zippe (1746/7-1816), Moral Theologist at the Turn of Ages

The present study is based on the work of the moral theologist Augustin Zippe: Anleitung in die Sittenlehre der Vernunft und der Offenbarung (Prague 1778). The main goal was to point to the openness in the thought of this theologian of the Age of Enlightenment, openness in the access to the own tradition of moral theology, but also in the access to the non-theological conceptions (mainly to the philosophers of "moral sense" - Shaftesbury, Hutcheson, Butler). Zippe criticizes and integrates their impulses into his own conception of successful Christian life. Zippe was convinced of the necessity to join the ethical requirements based on reason with the requirement based on revelation. The author criticized the strong individualism in ethical conceptions, and maintained his own opinion in the concepts of "moral sense" or "instinct of sympathy".

Keywords: Moral theology; Theological ethics; History of Moral theology; Enlightenment; Catholic Enlightenment