Most contemporary commentaries on the ethical thought of William James and John Dewey attempt to fit them into the framework of contemporary ethics. On such readings, many of James and Dewey’s most distinctive ethical concerns fade away so that they seem interested, above all, in meta-ethical questions about the nature of moral judgment and in normative questions about moral deliberation. Foregrounding the influence of Ralph Waldo Emerson on both these thinkers, this dissertation attempts to provide fresh interpretations of the ethical thought of James and Dewey. The locus of James’ most important ethical thought, I argue, comes in his religious writings, where he attempts to find ethical resources in religious belief that help us respond to the problems of suffering and uncertainty: the problem of how to acknowledge the suffering of others, and the problem of how to act with ethical conviction in the absence of social approval for one’s actions. Dewey’s most important work in ethics, I argue, is located in his rich and sophisticated theory of habit, where he reworks the Aristotelian tradition of virtue ethics to emphasize the contingency of our habitual systems and the importance of the ideal of growth.

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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

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Thesis (D. Min.)--Phoenix Seminary, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-307).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Phoenix Seminary, 2003. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-307).

Doctor Theologiae / South Africa

Thesis (DTh (Systematic Theology and Ecclesiology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / This research investigates whether The Christian story or The Public story is most appropriate for moral formation under democratic rule. The research draws from six well-known theologians who make valuable contributions to the enquiry. Each of the writings of William John Everett, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Geoffrey Wainwright, Stanley Hauerwas, Robin Gill and Desmond Tutu represents an approach for moral formation. In all the approaches there are major contributions that are pointed out. However, the first five approaches neglect the consistent relationship between the Christian story and the Public story, the inclusiveness of community and the role of God for moral formation. After careful analysis of the six approaches it is found that Desmond Tutu's theology and Ubuntu is the most appropriate approach for moral formation under democratic rule. Tutu's approach gives meaning to the fundamentals of the Public story, namely, reason, individual freedom, universal principles and laws, in Ubuntu community. He also draws from Genesis and the biblical description of the cross event to illustrate how God gives meaning to humanity through creation and redemption. This research finally concludes that Tutu's approach presents an interplay between the Christian story and the Public for moral formation under democratic rule.

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