Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1891.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Michigan, 1891.

In this dissertation, we have argued that liberty -freedom - is not only good but essential to what we regard a civilized life. We began with an examination of both the absolutistic and relativistic aspects of ethical doctrine. This examination revealed the expediency of accepting judgements based on sufficient reason rather than judgements made in accordance with ultimate principles, as guides to human conduct. In accepting the relativistic doctrine of value we illustrated the fact that there are many value-systems, and that the value-system we accept is basic to our way of life. Acceptance is strictly a matter of preference. We concluded our discussion of ethical theory by establishing as our generic end of action "the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people". This end of action we designated to mean a set of properties in accordance with which we make our evaluations. These evaluations become the postulates of our value-system: good and evil are only meaningful when judged in accordance with them. Furthermore, we found that these properties are contained within the framework of political and economic democracy. Over the long stretch of five thousand years of human history, democracy, as we know it, has prevailed for only a century or two, and that brief span coincides with the period of capitalist development. Logic suggests that democracy and individual freedom are closely bound up with capitalism, at least in its earlier stages of development before economic control becomes too highly centralized. But the freedom we have achieved is not due entirely to the operation of the laws of laissez-faire Capitalism. Even a Capitalist system in its simple form, with reasonable economic equality, could not provide all the freedom that we enjoy. Since it would operate without any government intervention, it would to some extent be governed by the law of the tooth and fang, and the weak would suffer at the hands of the strong. Cosequently, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the government has intervened more and more to protect the weak and the unfortunate. Although in so doing it has enlarged the sum total of human freedom, such legislation is to some extent a departure from the principles of laissez-faire capitalism. In arguing that the political and economic aspects of democracy are necessary characteristics of a just social order, we illustrated how political equality can be achieved, as in a Capitalistic order, and social justice remain as far away as ever. In this case, one type of privilege (economic) has been substituted for another (political). We also found it perfectly feasible to assume that some people may prefer equality in the distribution of wealth to political liberty. But here again, as in the case of Marxian Socialism, economic equality is gained by sacrificing political democracy. Thus, we endeavoured to achieve simultaneously, within the same system, both political liberty and social security, or equality. To achieve this end, we advocated a gradual transition from Capitalism to Democratic Socialism. / Arts, Faculty of / Philosophy, Department of / Graduate

The aim of this thesis is to defend an account of dirty hands theory and to establish it as a unique, but pervasive, species of inescapable wrongdoing. The thesis examines and attempts to solve a troubling practical implications associated with the problem of dirty hands and politics, namely, the issue of collective responsibility for politicians who dirty their hands. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract / Politics and Public Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Two ethical currents have been dominant during the past three centuries in moral philosophy, namely utilitarianism and Kantian ethics. As a number of moralists have observed, the contemporary moral disorder provides clear evidence of the failure of these two theories. In fact, they have left our societies in a moral crisis with social and political consequences. We may not lay the entire blame for this crisis at the feet of these theories. In any case, they are unable to resolve it. African society is not preserved from this crisis. The problem of Utilitarian and Kantian ethics lies in the fact that they are impersonal and alienating, because they commit themselves to utility and duty for their own sakes. Thus they cannot provide us with any ground on which we can base the reconstruction of the African society which is undergoing a social and political crisis. The alternative I propose is Aristotelian virtue ethics viewed from a communitarian perspective. While Utilitarianism and Kantianism emphasize doing (act-based ethics), virtue ethics is concerned with being (agent-based ethics), and flourishes mostly in the context of the community. As a result I argue that virtue ethics could be a solution to the moral and sociopolitical crisis which African society is experiencing today, in that it could help us to relocate the individual in the community as a being-with-self and a being-with-others, that is, an individual endowed with the overall virtue of Ubuntu (humanity). It is this kind of individual we expect in African humanism thought to be socio-ethical. However, Aristotelian virtue ethics is far from being an automatic panacea. In fact, it faces three major problems which social and political philosophy is wrestling with at present, namely: the complexity of our contemporary society, the current problems of nationalism and democracy, and the problem of global ethics and cosmopolitan citizenship. Nevertheless, there is reason to hope. This hope lies in our being human which entails being moral. I believe that morality implies that the human person cannot be reduced to a seIf-interested calculator whose social ties originate in a contract as Kantian thinkers might - make us believe. Instead, a virtuous life is suggested as a relevant tool that would help us to perceive and appreciate the circumstances in which one lives and act accordingly. The solution to African society's problem is at this price. / Theses (M.A.)-(University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Glasgow, 2008. / Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Arts, University of Glasgow, 2008. Includes bibliographical references. Print version also available.

The author's inaugural dissertation, München. / "Literatur": 5th prelim. leaf.

The author's inaugural dissertation, München. / "Literatur": 5th prelim. leaf.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.