EDITORIALE / Xenia Chiaramonte, Antonio Lucci
Thinking by cases: Historical and methodological reflections on the casuistic method
This editorial article offers a theoretical and historical reflection on casuistry as a method of reasoning from singular cases toward general insights. Starting from a literary episode in Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the authors explore the epistemological and methodological implications of thinking through cases, emphasizing the tension between particularity and generalization. Drawing on sources from theology, law, medicine, and philosophy, the text highlights the resilience and adaptability of casuistic reasoning beyond its traditional domains. Rather than dismissing the case as a marginal or anecdotal element, the editorial positions it as a site of conceptual productivity, capable of challenging dominant paradigms and fostering plural, situated forms of knowledge. In doing so, it lays the groundwork for re-evaluating casuistry not as a defunct scholastic tool, but as a living, critical methodology.
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