BOOKS AND PUBLISHERS, MORALITY of. — The publisher does not engage merely in an industrial activity, because his purpose is the dissemination of thought, carried out through the medium of the book. The ideas propagated by this means may be good or bad. The publisher, whose foremost task is to select the works to be published, when he does not himself initiate their compilation, is directly responsible for the evil that may be propagated through his publications.
There is no possibility of a moral compensation between the good or harmless books and the pernicious ones published by the same publishing house. The evil accomplished by immoral books is in no way cancelled out by the other publications, and this follows a law common to all moral acts. On the other hand, there is likewise no possibility of directly repairing the evil accomplished through books. Indeed, even if, hypothetically, it were possible to restore moral integrity to one who had lost it because of bad reading, the person who has suffered such harm remains forever unknown to those who caused the evil: authors, publishers, booksellers.
The best guide for a publisher who wishes to give his publishing house an orientation in conformity with the Church’s doctrine Index of Prohibited Books (v.).
It lists the works expressly prohibited by the Church, as well as the categories of books whose reading, even though they are not condemned by name, is nevertheless strictly forbidden. The Index also sets out all the other rules pertaining to this matter and indicates the penalties incurred by anyone who does not observe them.
The works that should not be published, and that most frequently become the subject of a publisher’s selection in the exercise of his normal activity, are the following: a) those which, from a scientific standpoint, combat and contradict the dogmas of the faith; b) those which defend and exalt ideas and programmes condemned by the Church; c) those, especially novels, which describe evil in such a way as to exert a pernicious influence on their readers. In this field too, the worst of all are works that attempt to justify guilt by reversing the very meaning of the terms « good » and « evil ».
It should be noted that the description of moral evils and guilt is not in itself to be condemned, partly because, within certain limits, knowledge of danger can help one to avoid II. When narratives of this kind do not contain stimulating descriptions, are conducted in such a way as to inspire repulsion for the evil described, and contain at least an implicit condemnation of it, they may sometimes even have the value of genuine moral apologies. The masterpiece of Manzoni is exemplary in this respect as well.
Even the reading of a single perverse book can ruin a life forever. Young people in particular are affected by reading, and this is because, although all readers are usually at a disadvantage in relation to the author, who has at his disposal carefully elaborated arguments and the art of presenting them in a thousand attractive ways, young people nevertheless possess to a lesser degree than other readers the experience necessary to distinguish falsehood from truth and the strength to resist the attraction ordinarily exerted by unhealthy reading.
The claims of art, so often invoked by defenders of bad reading, even in the rare cases in which one may speak of genuine art, must take second place in the face of the far more important demands of the readers’ spiritual well-being. In such cases they are attracted not by art, which can be presented to them through so many works of the literature of every age and country, but by the pernicious manner in which the artist has employed his talent.
It is therefore necessary that every publication be accepted by the publisher only after a careful examination, carried out personally by him or at least by someone who, in addition to editorial and literary competence, possesses sufficient moral sensitivity. It is clear that in cases where the Church requires ecclesiastical approval, that approval itself relieves publishers of all responsibility. When doubts arise concerning the legitimacy of a publication, the publisher may seek, even outside the publishing house, the opinion of qualified persons whose collaboration is readily available, since there now exist authoritative bodies capable of providing reliable moral judgments on the publications submitted to them.
When a work is judged, from a moral standpoint, unsuitable for publication and can be modified so as to remove every negative element from it, the publisher may invite the author to make such modifications. Classical works, including those expressly condemned by the Church, may be published, provided that suitable prefaces and notes highlight the passages in which the errors constituting the reason for the condemnation are expressed or defended, and that the reasons for the condemnation are given. Passages condemned on account of their sensuality must in any case either be omitted or summarized. Editions of condemned works published in this manner must be approved by the Ordinary of the place in which the publishing house is located. There is no need to mention the approval in the edition.
Readings that present no moral danger to all readers, but only to certain ones, may be published, provided that they are addressed to broad categories of the public. It is necessary, however, that their publishers, as far as possible, arrange them in clearly defined collections, specifying in every case, in the books themselves and in catalogues, for which readers such works are suitable, so that parents, educators, and the booksellers themselves may know with certainty their contents and intended readership. Works of this kind are found in religious literature as well.
There exist, for the use of publishers, booksellers, readers, and libraries, excellently produced publications that periodically provide all information of a moral nature concerning new books. They constitute valuable collaboration and a reliable aid for publishers who, conscious of the importance of their mission, intend to cooperate in the cause of the true good.