Karol Wojtyla’s Conception of Love and Responsibility and Its Application to the Use of Contraception

Abstract

This study probes the perspective of Wojtyla’s sexual ethics regarding his views on love and responsibility and his synthesis on the ends of marriage and the morality of the use of contraception in marriage. “Love and Responsibility” is the title and the theme of his book on sexual ethics which reflects his own brand of moral philosophy. Karol Wojtyla argues against the use of contraceptives for married couples. His view is that contraceptive sexual intercourse is reductive, does not fully respect the dignity of the other and does not fully express human spousal love. This thesis investigates Karol Wojtyla’s position and defends the possibility of exercising responsible human love whilst using contraceptives in the sexual life of married couples.