Evaluation of Heidegger's ethical thinking or "originary ethics" is necessary due to recent ethical questions resulting from Heidegger's biography. According to John D. Caputo, Heidegger does not care for the "other". This thesis analyzes Caputo's basis for those claims along with his rejection of Heidegger's notion that our relation to poetizing is needful for an ethics in a scientific, technological age. Heidegger's ethics of non-objectification offers hope with regard not only to the domination and oppression of humans but also for non-humans as well. Heidegger's understanding of 'technique qua metaphysics' is important for addressing the political claims of Caputo.

What should I do? As long as I am aware of the relevant facts of the situation and deliberating soundly, Bernard Williams argues that I should do what I want to do. It makes no sense to say that there are reasons that are fixed objects of concern, or values, that exist for an agent regardless of what she is in fact motivated to do. Reasons, for Williams, are hypothetical. I argue that he takes this view of practical reason because of a prior answer to the question “How should I live?”. A universal account of the good life would mean an account of values, or interests, that all human beings should have. Williams thinks it is not possible to give a universal account of the good life for human beings; any such account must be constructed out of the particular reasons of a community. But, he takes a constructivist view of the good life because he thinks that to be universal an account of the good life would have to be objective. Since objectivity cannot be achieved, he argues, neither can universality. Williams is only half right. That objectivity is not possible is inconsequential. A foundation for ethics has to be internal, but this does not preclude it being universal. I develop such a foundation based on the Aristotelian conception of human nature. A life cannot be wholly good if it is not self-respecting. Moreover, self-respect fits the framework for the specification of the good life that this foundation provides: I argue that self-respect can be shown to have a structure which provides an account of real interests - reasons that are objects of fixed concern. As such, reasons recognise rather than construct the good, making categorical reasons possible. A person can have a reason to change or act, even if reason itself cannot effect that change or action. Thus, I can be wrong about what I should do not only by being wrong about what would count as a satisfaction of my interests, but also by being wrong about what my interests are.

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Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2000 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In seeking to evaluate a Christian ethic in the modern and postmodern world, we should first search for the ethical principles of modernism and of postmodernism. Thereafter, we should attempt to find a common ethical principle in both modernism and postmodernisrn. In this way we can establish whether or not modern and postmodern ethics approximate to Christian ethics. Modern ethics originated from and were established on the concept of 'the self or selfcentrism as defined in this thesis. More exactly, modern ethics were grounded on the basis of the 'reason' of the autonomous self. In this way modern ethics can be characterized by universal laws or universal norms. They served oppressive political norms. In modern times the rational ethics, therefore, correlated with the langauge of totalization and colonization. This modern ethical paradigm was criticized by postmodernists. Postmodernists deconstructed modernist universal norms which were constituted on the concept of 'the self. They discovered 'the other'. Thus the postmodern ethics were developed on the concept of 'the other'. Postmodern ethics are expressed in uncertainty and can be characterized as 'rninimalistic morality'. Even though modern ethics and postmodern ethics were established on different concepts, they have a common principle. We recognized that the this-worldly self-life centrism is a common principle of modern ethics and postmodern ethics. We established this in chapter 2. In Chapter 3 we studied the Christian ethics in the Bible. Christians must follow Christ. Christians must become the image of Christ. The Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Christ. Therefore, Christ is the origin and model of Christian ethics. But we also investigated the reason why so many believers fail to live Christ-like life. We discovered that the this-worldly life centrism always hinders believers from becoming Christ-like people. We suggested that life-giving love is the core ethical principle in the Bible. In Chapter 4 we applied Biblical Christian ethics to the modern and postmodern world. We found that Christian ethics could not match up with modern and postmodern ethical principles in certain respects. Christian ethics are different from modern and postmodern ethics. From this application we proposed that Christian ethics are not expressed in either modern rationalism or postmodern deconstruction. We disclosed the reason why modern rational ethics and ethics of deconstruction cannot comprehend Christ-like ethics. Modern and postmodern ethics were not established on the model of Christ. Modern and postmodern ethics did not emphasize the life-giving love which Jesus portrayed. In this thesis, therefore, the conclusion is that Christian ethics must be Christ-centric ethics. The Christ-centric ethic that can counter postmodern life comes true in life-giving love. Countering modern rational ethics which are based on the concept of 'the self' or selfcentrism we, Christians, must emphasize suffering and self-giving by loving 'the other', for example: women, the isolated, and so on. Countering postmodern ethics of deconstruction based on the concept of 'the other', 'the other' must strive to become a Christ-like person rather than pursue his/her own perfect self-realization and liberation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten einde Christelike etiek in die moderne en postmoderne we reid te evalueer, moet ons eerstens soek vir 'n etiese beginsel ten opsigte van modernisme en postmodernisme, asook 'n gemeenskaplike etiese beginsel van sowel modernisme as postmodernisme. Slegs daarna kan ons klaarheid he of moderne en postmoderne etiek inpas in die Christelike etiek. Moderne etiek het ontstaan uit en is gebaseer op die konsep van 'die self of selfgesentreerdheid, soos na verwys is in hierdie tesis. Om meer presies te wees, moderne etiek het ontwikkel op die grondslag van die 'rede' van die outonome self. Dus kan die moderne etiek op die wyse uitdrukking vind in universele wette of norme. Dit het onderdrukkende politieke stelsels bedien. In moderne tye het die rasionele etiek dus ooreengestem met die taal van kolonialisme en 'n totalitere benadering. Hierdie moderne etiese paradigma is deur die postmoderniste gekritiseer. Postmoderniste het die universele norme gebaseer op die konsep van 'die self deur moderniste, afgetakel. Hulle het 'die ander' ontdek. Die postmoderne etiek is dus ontwikkel op die konsep van 'die ander '. Postmoderne etiek word uitgedruk in onsekerheid en kan gekarakteriseer word as 'geminimaliseerde moraliteit'. Alhoewel moderne etiek en postmoderne etiek op verskillende konsepte gevestig is, het hulle tog 'n gemeenskaplike beginsel. Ons het die gerigtheid op hierdie-wereldse selfgesentreerdheid herken as eie aan beide moderne etiek en postmoderne etiek. Ons het dit in hoofstuk 2 ondersoek. In hoofstuk 3 het ons Christelike etiek in die Bybel bestudeer. Christene moet navolgers van Christus wees. Christene moet Christusgelykvormig word. Die Heilige Gees herskep ons tot die beeld van Christus. Daarom is Christus die oorsprong en die model van Christelike etiek. Ons het ook die rede ondersoek waarom die dissipels Christus nie kon navolg nie. Ons het ontdek dat die hierdie-wereld lewensgesentreerdheid gelowiges altyd verhinder om Christusgelykvormige mense te word. Ons stel voor dat lewegewende liefde die kern etiese beginsel in die Bybel is. In hoofstuk 4 het ons Christelike etiek soos ons dit in die Bybel bestudeer het, toegepas op die moderne en postmoderne wereld. Ons het bevind dat die Christelike etiek op sekere punte nie in lyn gebring kan word met moderne en postmoderne etiek nie. Christelike etiek verskil van moderne en postmoderne etiek. Voortvloeiend uit hierdie toepassing het ons voorgestel dat die Christelike etiek nie kon ontstaan het vanuit die moderne rasionalisme en postmoderne dekonstruksie nie. Ons het die rede blootgele waarom moderne rasionele etiek en dekonstruktiewe etiek nie Christusgelykvormige etiek kan omvat nie. Moderne en postmoderne etiek is nie gevestig op die model van Christus nie. Moderne en postmoderne etiek is nie beklemtoon in die lewegewende liefde wat Jesus gedemonstreer het nie. Die gevolgtrekking in hierdie tesis is dus dat Christelike etiek Christus-sentriese etiek moet wees - Christus-sentriese etiek wat die postmoderne lewensuitkyk kan weerle deur 'n openbaring van lewegewende liefde. Om moderne rasionele etiek gebaseer op die konsep van' die self of selfgesentreerdheid te weerle, moet ons as Christene die klem laat val op lyding en om onsself te gee deur ander lief te he, byvoorbeeld: vroue, die gel soleerdes en ander. Ten einde postmoderne etiek se dekonstruksie gebaseer op 'die ander' te weerle, moet dit 'die ander' se mikpunt wees om Christusgelykvormig te word eerder as om sy volkome selfrealisering en bevryding na te streef.

Thesis (M.Div.)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study examines virtues in Caprivi that has to be taken seriously by the church. This offers a position to promote the religio-culture of the community within the growing Christian churches. The call is to use story-telling in our liturgy to promote the cultural setting of passing on the message. The way preaching is currently done does not have similarity to the way the message of the gospel is to be told to the audience. The argument is therefore, that if the church wants to be relevant to the Caprivian community it should use the existing community virtues. The assignments will includes reference to Peter Paris’ book who searches for an African and African American moral discourse. As the assignment will try to examine these virtues there is a need for suggesting a contributing way forward, in which Caprivian virtues can contribute to the virtues of the church. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie evalueer die waardes van die Kaprivi wat ernstige uitdagings aan die kerk stel. Dit bied ook raamwerk om die religieuse kultuur van die gemeenskap binne groeiende Christelike kerk te bevorder. Hier val groot klem op storievertelling binne die liturgie ten einde bepaalde boodskap binne kulturele situasie te kommunikeer. Die wyse waarop die evangelie tans oorgedra word maak egter nie erns met die waardes van die Kapriviaanse gemeenskap nie. Juis hierom word daar in hierdie navorsing sterk gefokus op Peter Paris se boek, waarin hy soek na Afrika en Afrika-Amerikaanse morele raamwerk. Benewens evaluering van die waardes van die Kapriviaanse gemeenskap, word daar ook meer konkreet gesoek na nuwe werkswyse waardeur die waardes van die Kapriviaanse gemeenskap betekenisvol inwerk op die waardes van die kerk.

In this study, I consider the possibility of extending Hannah Arendt's critiques of conformity and behavior and her insights on thinking and moral philosophy to Christian life and culture. With Arendt, I argue that the possibility to refrain from perpetrating great evils made possible by uncritical conformity resides within the activity of thinking itself, as she defines it. Furthermore, I argue, again with Arendt, that refraining from such evils is a moral decision which finds its ultimate standard in the self. Although she culls many helpful insights from religious traditions, Arendt refrains from extending her moral philosophy into any realm in which religion is considered to be the valid standard of what constitutes moral behavior. Instead, I argue, against Arendt, that Christians can, and perhaps should, develop a more mature understanding of religion and a more "covenantal" understanding of their relationship with the divine.

This study employs a modernization framework to advance the idea that there are three types of morality coexisting in contemporary America. These three types are traditional, modern, and late-modern. Data from the 1998 Middletown Area Survey are examined to test the hypothesis that individuals with higher levels of formal education will tend to characterize "moral decline" in more modern or late-modern terms. The relationship between religious affiliation and characterization of moral decline is also examined. Findings include support for all three types of morality. Education does not directly relate to more modern notions of morality. However it does decrease support for traditional ideas about moral decline. Religious affiliation strongly predicts traditional morality. An expansion of the concept of the late-modern morality is suggested based on the measure's unexpected relationship with issues such as abortion and homosexuality. / Department of Sociology

Science fiction identifies three characteristics as definitive of and essential to humanity: 1) sentience or self-awareness, 2) emotions, and 3) most importantly, the capacity for sociability. Through the vital possession of these three traits any entity can come to be called human. In the first chapter, I examine Cordwainer Smith's "Scanners Live in Vain" and Samuel R. Delany's "Aye and Gomorrah...," two stories in which human subjects become Other than human. In the second chapter, I explore the prospect of creatures, not biologically human who gain human status through an analysis of Smith's "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" and Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? In the third chapter, I investigate the uniquely science fictional notion that "humanity" does not require biology through a comparison of H.G. Wells's The Island of Dr. Moreau and William Gibson's Idoru. / by Charles Barry Herzek. / Works Cited (p. 54), reflected in the Table of Contents, lacking from the University Library's copy. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references based on the footnotes on pages 51-53. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.

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