Revenge of Conscience

The Revenge of Conscience: Politics and the Fall of Man by J Budziszewski, 145 pages

In The Revenge of Conscience, natural law philosopher Budziszewski sets out, not to argue for the reality of the natural law, but to outline the consequences of its denial.  Conscience, he contends, can never be erased, only repressed, and a guilt denied will only express itself in other, more damaging, ways.  In the process, he reveals how many of the vices of our society - and especially our politics - are virtues grown cancerous.

Although Budziszewski notes that natural law does not presuppose any particular religious belief, as the subtitle suggests, this book contains large sections explicitly addressed to a Christian audience.  On the positive side, the fact that the book was published nearly twenty years ago takes the edge off some of the specific political references, strengthening the author's general points.