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Ethical Systems or Sin, Evil, Inhumanity
John Rawls with Thomas Nagel, Joshua Cohen, and Robert Merrihew Adams (Harvard: Mar 31, 2009), 288 pages.
John Rawls never published anything about his own religious beliefs, but after his death two texts were discovered which shed extraordinary light on the subject. A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith is Rawls’s undergraduate senior thesis, submitted in December 1942, just before he entered the army. At that time Rawls was deeply religious; the thesis is a significant work of theological ethics, of interest both in itself and because of its relation to his mature writings. “On My Religion,” a short statement drafted in 1997, describes the history of his religious beliefs and attitudes toward religion, including his abandonment of orthodoxy during World War II. The present volume includes these two texts, together with an Introduction by Joshua Cohen and Thomas Nagel, which discusses their relation to Rawls’s published work, and an essay by Robert Merrihew Adams, which places the thesis in its theological context. The texts display the profound engagement with religion that forms the background of Rawls’s later views on the importance of separating religion and politics. Moreover, the moral and social convictions that the thesis expresses in religious form are related in illuminating ways to the central ideas of Rawls’s later writings. His notions of sin, faith, and community are simultaneously moral and theological, and prefigure the moral outlook found in Theory of Justice. ~ Product Description
Peter Kreeft (Ignatius Press: October 1, 1999)
The only boring aspect of this book is its title, which doesn't do
justice to apologist Kreeft's intelligent, engaging dialogue between
two fictional friends during a week of relaxation at Martha's Vineyard.
Kreeft, philosophy professor at Boston College and author of more than
25 books, describes the absolutist character 'Isa as a Muslim
fundamentalist from Palestine who teaches philosophy at the American
University in Beirut. His interviewer and sparring partner is Libby
Rawls, an African-American, liberal feminist journalist. Using a
classic debate format, with impressive fairness to the opposite side,
Kreeft defines relativism and its importance. Tracing relativism's
evolution and history in Western philosophy, Kreeft notes that
relativism is a fairly modern perspective, originating within the last
few hundred years. He outlines the philosophical distinctions between
it and absolutism with clarity and an integrity that will delight both
the layperson and the professional philosopher. For Kreeft, relativism
has eroded a collective and individual sense of accountability and
contributed to social decay, yet he can see the other side, especially
with regard to cross-cultural differences. Although the purpose of the
book is to uphold absolutism, Kreeft outlines the relativist
perspective in an approachable, respectful manner. By giving
counterarguments a fighting chance, this becomes a book that may
actually persuade people, not just preach to the absolutist choir. ~ Publishers Weekly
Craig A. Boyd (Brazos Press: November 2007), 272 pages.
Boyd presents an insightful account of natural law ethics, the view that ethical principles derive from the requirements of human nature. A prime obstacle to the acceptance of this type of ethics is that it transgresses the fact-value dichotomy. Boyd responds in detail to this objection, as well as to G.E. Moore's criticism of ethical naturalism. Although he defends natural law, Boyd holds that the classical version of that view as advanced by Thomas Aquinas cannot be accepted. It is based, he writes, on outdated biology, and attention to modern evolutionary theory results in a natural law position less universalistic in its claims than the classical doctrine. Boyd further criticizes other attempts to use evolutionary biology in ethics, as expressed in Larry Arnhart's Darwinian Natural Right: The Biological Ethics of Human Nature and the writings of E.O. Wilson. Natural law, Boyd argues, needs to be supplemented with virtue ethics. He also compares natural law to divine command ethics and addresses postmodernist and relativist criticisms. Boyd discusses an unusually wide range of material, and his challenging book is recommended for philosophy collections. ~ Product Description
The Plague (New York: Vintage International, 1948, 1975), 37.
When a war breaks out, people say: "It's too stupid; it can't last
long." But though a war may well be "too stupid," that doesn't prevent
its lasting. Stupidity has a knack of getting its way; as we should see
if we were not always so much wrapped in ourselves... In this
respect our townspeople were like everybody else, wrapped up in
themselves; in other words they were humanists: they disbelieved in
pestilences. A pestilence isn't a thing made to man's measure;
therefore we tell ourselves that pestilence is a mere bogy of the mind,
a bad dream that will pass away. But it doesn't always pass away and,
from one bad dream to another, it is men who pass away. Our townsfolk
were not more to blame than others; they forgot to be modest, that was
all, and thought that everything still was possible for them.
Albert Camus on Suffering said...
The Plague, (New York: Vintage International, 1948, 1975) 224.
His interest quickened when, in a more emphatic tone, the preacher said
that there were some things we could grasp as touching God, and others
we could not. There was not doubt as to the existence of good and evil
and, as a rule, it was easy to see the difference between them. The
difficulty began when we looked into the nature of evil, and among
things evil he included human suffering. Thus we had apparently needful
pain, and apparently needless pain; we had right that a libertine
should be struck down, we see no reason for a child's suffering. And,
truth to tell, nothing was more important on earth than a child's
suffering, the horror it inspires in us, and the reason we must find to
account for it. [H]e might easily have assured them that the child's
sufferings would be compensated for by an eternity of bliss awaiting
him. But how could he give that assurance when, to tell the truth, he
knew nothing about it? For who would dare to assert that eternal
happiness can compensate for a single moment's human suffering? He who
asserted that would not be a true Christian, a follower of the Master
who knew all the pangs of suffering in his body and his soul. No, he,
Father Paneloux, would keep faith with that great symbol of all
suffering, the tortured body on the Cross; he would stand fast, his
back to the wall and face honestly the terrible problem of a child's
agony. And he would boldly say to those who listened to his words
today, "My brother, a time of testing has come for us all. We must
believe everything or deny everything. And who among you, I ask, would
dare to deny everything?"
"Epistle II" in An Essay On Man (T. Tegg: 1811), pp. 61-2.
Know then thyself, presume not God to scan, ¶ The proper study of mankind is Man. ¶ Plac'd on this isthmus of a middle state, ¶ A being darkly wise, and rudely great: ¶ With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, ¶ With too much weakness for the stoic's pride,
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; ¶ In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; ¶ In doubt his mind or body to prefer; ¶ Born but to die; and reas'ning but to err: ¶ Alike in ignorance, his reason such, ¶ Whether he thinks too little or too much; ¶ Chaos of thought and passion, all confus'd; ¶ Still by himself abus'd or disabus'd; ¶ Created half to rise and half to fall; ¶ Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; ¶ Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd; ¶ The glory, jest, and riddle of the world!
He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; ¶ In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; ¶ In doubt his mind or body to prefer; ¶ Born but to die; and reas'ning but to err: ¶ Alike in ignorance, his reason such, ¶ Whether he thinks too little or too much; ¶ Chaos of thought and passion, all confus'd; ¶ Still by himself abus'd or disabus'd; ¶ Created half to rise and half to fall; ¶ Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; ¶ Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurl'd; ¶ The glory, jest, and riddle of the world!
Mark C. Murphy (Cornell University Press: August 2002), 224 pages.
In the first book wholly concerned with divine authority, Mark C. Murphy explores the extent of God's rule over created rational beings. The author challenges the view-widely supported by theists and nontheists alike-that if God exists, then humans must be bound by an obligation of obedience to this being. He demonstrates that this view, the "authority thesis," cannot be sustained by any of the arguments routinely advanced on its behalf, including those drawn from perfect being theology, metaethical theory, normative principles, and even Scripture and tradition. After exposing the inadequacies of the various arguments for the authority thesis, he develops his own solution to the problem of whether, and to what extent, God is authoritative. For Murphy, divine authority is a contingent matter: while created rational beings have decisive reason to subject themselves to the divine rule, they are under divine authority only insofar as they have chosen to allow God's decisions to take the place of their own in their practical reasoning. The author formulates and defends his arguments for this view, and notes its implications for understanding the distinctiveness of Christian ethics. ~ Product Description
Alexander Miller (Wiley, John & Sons: June 2003), 328 pages.
An Introduction to Contemporary Metaethics provides a highly readable critical overview of the main arguments and themes in twentieth-century and contemporary metaethics. It traces the development of contemporary debates in metaethics from their beginnings in the work of G. E. Moore up to the most recent arguments between naturalism and non-naturalism, cognitivism and non-cognitivism. • A highly readable critical overview of the main arguments and themes in twentieth century and contemporary metaethics. • Asks: Are there moral facts? Is there such a thing as moral truth? Is moral knowledge possible? • Traces the development of contemporary debates in metaethics from their beginnings in the work of G. E. Moore up to the most recent debates between naturalism and non-naturalism, cognitivism and noncognitivism. • Provides for the first time a critical survey of famous figures in twentieth century metaethics such as Moore, Ayer and Mackie together with in-depth discussions of contemporary philosophers such as Blackburn, Gibbard, Wright, Harman, Railton, Sturgeon, McDowell and Wiggins. ~ Product Description
Cur Deus Homo ("Why God Became Man") (1033-1109).
When it is said that what God wishes is just, and that what He does not
wish is unjust, we must not understand that if God wished anything
improper it would be just, simply because he wished it. For if God
wishes to lie, we must not conclude that it is right to lie, but rather
that he is not God. For no will can ever wish to lie, unless truth in
it is impaired, nay, unless the will itself be impaired by forsaking
truth. When, then, it is said: "If God wishes to lie," the meaning is
simply this: "If the nature of God is such as that he wishes to lie;"
and, therefore, it does not follow that falsehood is right, except it
be understood in the same manner as when we speak of two impossible
things: "If this be true, then that follows; because neither this nor
that is true;" as if a man should say: "Supposing water to be dry, and
fire to be moist;" for neither is the case. Therefore, with regard to
these things, to speak the whole truth: If God desires a thing, it is
right that he should desire that which involves no unfitness. For if
God chooses that it should rain, it is right that it should rain; and
if he desires that any man should die, then is it right that he should
die. Wherefore, if it be not fitting for God to do anything unjustly,
or out of course, it does not belong to his liberty or compassion or
will to let the sinner go unpunished who makes no return to God of what
the sinner has
Andrew Fisher and Simon Kirchin, eds. (Routledge: July 2006), 621 pages.
Arguing about Metaethics collects together some of the most exciting contemporary work in metaethics in one handy volume. In it, many of the most influential philosophers in the field discuss key questions in metaethics: Do moral properties exist? If they do, how do they fit into the world as science conceives it? If they don’t exist, then how should we understand moral thought and language? What is the relation between moral judgement and motivation? As well as these questions, this volume discusses a wide range of issues including moral objectivity, truth and moral judgements, moral psychology, thick evaluative concepts and moral relativism. The editors provide lucid introductions to each of the eleven themed sections in which they show how the debate lies and outline the arguments of the papers. Arguing about Metaethics is an ideal resource text for students at upper undergraduate or postgraduate level.
Michael Martin (Prometheus: Oct, 2002), 330 pages.
Despite the pluralism of contemporary American culture, the Judaeo-Christian legacy still has a great deal of influence on the popular imagination. Thus it is not surprising that in this context atheism has a slightly scandalous ring, and unbelief is often associated with the lack of morality and a meaningless existence. Distinguished philosopher and committed atheist Michael Martin sets out to refute such notions in this thorough defense of atheism as both a moral and a meaningful philosophy of life. Martin shows not only that objective morality and a purposeful life are possible without belief in God but also that the predominantly Christian worldview of American society is seriously flawed as the basis of morality and meaning. ~ Product Description