This dissertation examines the ethical systems created in response to the crisis of the Holocaust by Emmanuel Levinas, Elie Wiesel and Richard Rubenstein. Prior to the Holocaust, European Jewish philosophers grounded ethics in traditional metaphysics. Unlike their predecessors, Levinas, Wiesel and Rubenstein all make ethics "first philosophy" by grounding ethics in the temporal experience of suffering rather than ontology or theology, deliberately rejecting ethical views rooted in traditional metaphysical claims. With varying degrees of success, they all employ Jewish texts and traditions to do so. Their applications of Jewish sources are both orthodox and innovative, and show how philosophical approaches to ethics can benefit from religion. Suffering becomes not only the first priority of ethics, but an experience that simultaneously necessitates and activates ethical response. According to this view, human beings are not blank slates whose values are informed exclusively by culture and moral instruction alone; nor is human consciousness awakened or even primarily constituted by reason, as argued by deontologists. Rather, consciousness is characterized by affectivity and sensibility as interconnected faculties working in concert to create ethical response. This dissertation argues that if what makes ethical response possible is located in human consciousness rather than in metaphysics or culture, a re-orientation of philosophy toward the investigation of human affectivity and its role in ethical response is in order. All three thinkers examined actively resist categorization and repudiate claims that a single philosophical system can be successfully applied to all aspects of life, and this dissertation does not choose one of the three projects examined here as the most persuasive or significant. Instead, it explores how the work of Levinas, Wiesel and Rubenstein might be combined, built upon and expanded to form an ethics that is deeply informed by human experience and makes human and non-human suffering our greatest priorities.

Introduktion: Brännskada är ett globalt folkhälsoproblem och en traumatisk händelse för den som drabbas då det medför smärta och lidande med både psykiska, fysiska och psykosociala besvär. Brännskador kräver oftast intensivvård och många sjukhusvistelser med lång rehabilitering. Trots en avancerad sjukvård och adekvat behandling blir livet efter utskrivning aldrig exakt som det var innan brännskadan. Brännskadan leder bland annat till ett förändrat utseende, utanförskap och lidande som påverkar patientens hälsa.  Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att undersöka patienters upplevelser av sin hälsa efter brännskada. Metod: En litteraturstudie har gjorts där 11 originalartiklar med kvalitativa studier från databaserna PubMed och CINAHL har inkluderats.   Resultat: Resultatet delades in i tre huvudkategorier och nio subkategorier. De tre huvudkategorierna var; förändring av den fysiska hälsan, påverkan på den psykiska hälsan och påverkan på den psykosociala hälsan. Den fysiska hälsan blev begränsad och det fanns en ökad smärta och sensibilitet. Den psykiska hälsan beskrev de känslomässiga påfrestningarna, hotad identitet, isolering och utanförskapen men också acceptans. Den psykosociala hälsan beskrev vikten av stöd från andra och av det sociala nätverket. Slutsats: De som varit med om en brännskada upplevde en förändrad hälsa och ett ökat lidande. Hälsan påverkades fysiskt, psykiskt och psykosocialt och det var därför viktigt för sjuksköterskan att se hela personen och inte enbart de fysiska skadorna. Utöver detta krävdes stöd från andra samt acceptans för att försonas med lidande. / Introduction: Burns are a global public health problem and a traumatic event for the patient, causing pain and suffering, including mental, physical and psychosocial problems. Burns usually require intensive care and multiple hospital visits with long rehabilitation time. Despite advanced medical care and adequate treatment, life after discharge will never be exactly as it was before the burn. The burn leads to, among other things, a changed appearance, alienation and suffering that affect the patient's health. Aim: The aim of this literature study was to investigate the experience of burn patients' health after burn.  Method: A literature study with 11 original articles with qualitative studies from the database PubMed and CINAHL were included in this study.  Results: The results were divided into three main categories and nine subcategories. The three main categories were; Change in physical health, impact on mental health and impact on psychosocial health. Physical health became restrained and there was increased pain and sensitivity. Mental health described the emotional stress, the threatened identity, the isolation and alienation and also acceptance. Psychosocial health described the importance of moral support from others and from the social network. Conclusion: Burn patients experienced a change in health and increased suffering. The health was affected physically, psychologically and psychosocially and thus the nurse’s job should not exclusively include physical treatment, but also include psychological treatment in support of the patient. Beyond professional treatment, the patient required support from others and acceptance to reconcile with their suffering.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive body of work represents decades of effort from a man who, burdened by the suffering and grief of a world he considered to be fallen, wished to combine his love of fairy-stories and mythology with the otherworldly hope of eucatastrophe, Tolkien’s word for unexpected divine joy amid suffering, present at the heart of his strong Catholic beliefs. Tolkien’s world of Arda is consequently full of suffering; it is written as a dark and dangerous place, where dyscatastrophe, the prerequisite suffering before eucatastrophe, exists within the world from its conception and Eden has never been obtainable for Men. By chronologically tracing the existence of suffering in Tolkien’s world, from its origin through the fall of Melkor, to the grievous immortality of the Elves and their possessive love of the world, and finally to the fear of death present in Men, this paper aims to combine these moments of suffering and the underlying hope within them in order to show the necessity of eucatastrophe to Tolkien’s world through several of his major works. By focusing primarily on The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion while showing his use of amdir and estel, the different hopes of Men and Elves, as tools in service of eucatastrophe to highlight the hope present within our own world, this paper argues for eucatastrophe, dyscatastrophe, amdir, and estel as primary components to the major theme of death and immortality within Tolkien’s works, purposeful inclusions designed to give readers a glimpse of joy beyond their own world, which Tolkien held to be the most important function of the fairy-stories he loved.

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Thesis (doctoral)--University of Frankfurt am Main, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 227-241).

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This study is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed to be integral in the formation of a woman's identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment or deficiency associated with it may lead the woman to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering related to the body three contexts have been chosen. These are familial breast cancer, eating disorders and infertility. Common themes of suffering that were co-constructed in the interviews between six women participants and myself form the basis of this study. These themes emerged through the process of social constructionism and dialogue. Through the process of language, personal realities and meanings were discussed and shared to elicit a greater understanding of the nature of suffering. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was also adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences with suffering. The case study presentations illustrate the linguistic domain between the participants and myself. It is hoped that the information presented in this study will contribute to a therapeutic understanding of personal suffering as experienced by women. / Psychology / D. Litt et Phil.

This study is concerned with the nature of suffering as experienced by women struggling with problems related to the body. Since the body is viewed to be integral in the formation of a woman's identity and self-concept, any illness, ailment or deficiency associated with it may lead the woman to experience pain and suffering. To explore meanings of personal suffering related to the body three contexts have been chosen. These are familial breast cancer, eating disorders and infertility. Common themes of suffering that were co-constructed in the interviews between six women participants and myself form the basis of this study. These themes emerged through the process of social constructionism and dialogue. Through the process of language, personal realities and meanings were discussed and shared to elicit a greater understanding of the nature of suffering. A qualitative approach, using the case study method, was also adopted to provide rich descriptions of the different experiences with suffering. The case study presentations illustrate the linguistic domain between the participants and myself. It is hoped that the information presented in this study will contribute to a therapeutic understanding of personal suffering as experienced by women. / Psychology / D. Litt et Phil.

Thesis (DTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research investigates the problem: do contemporary African Christologies reflect the portrayal of the personhood and the significance of the Cross of Christ in the New Testament? It explores the Christo logical views of African theologians in Black Theology, African Theology and African Women's Theology, and the fundamental presuppositions of these forms of Christologies rather than providing a detailed treatment of the individual Christo logical views of these theologians. The research argues that the methodological assumptions of African theologians, specifically, their hermeneutical starting point and convictions, deeply influence their Christological thoughts and constructions. Therefore, this research examines contemporary African hermeneutical methods, particularly searching for their congruence with the original and characteristic Protestant hermeneutical conviction of Sola Scriptura. As a comparative study, this research deliberately compares these contemporary and representative African Christologies with Paul's view of Jesus Christ and the significance of his Cross, thereby inquiring specifically after the role of Christian Soteriology in these African Christo logical approaches and comparing them with Paul. The research argues that, looking at dominant contemporary African Christologies from the perspective of Pauline Protology and Soteriology, they do not always fully reflect the New Testament portrayal of the personhood and the Cross of Christ in the New Testament. For future work on African Christologies, the research concludes and suggests that African Christologies be critically evaluated based on their congruence with the Protestant hermeneutical principle of Sola Scriptura. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie stel ondersoek in na die vraag: Hoe reflekteer hedendaagse Afrika- Christologiee die persoonskap en betekenis van die Kruis van Christus soos voorgestel in die Nuwe Testament? Dit bestudeer die Christologiese sienings van Afrika-teoloe in Swart Teologie, Afrika Teologie en Afrika Vroue- Teologie. Die klem val op die grondliggende voorveronderstellings van hierdie Christologiee eerder as op 'n gedetailleerde hantering van die onderskeie Christologiese sieninge van hierdie teoloe. Die navorsing voer aan dat die metodologiese aannames van Afrika-teoloe, spesifiek in hul hermeneutiese vertrekpunt en oortuigings, 'n diepgaande invloed uitoefen op hul Christologiese denke en konstruksies. Derhalwe bestudeer hierdie navorsing hedendaagse hermeneutiese metodes in Afrika, in besonder wat betref hulle ooreenkoms met die oorspronklike en kenmerkende Protestantse hermeneutiese oortuiging van Sola Scriptura. As 'n vergelykende studie word hierdie hedendaagse en verteenwoordigende Afrika- Christologiee gemeet teen Paulus se sieninge van Jesus Christus en die betekenis van die Kruis. Die ondersoek gaan dus veral in op die rol van Christelike soteriologie in hierdie Afrika-Christologiese benaderings, en vergelyk dit dan met Paulus. Die navorsing voer aan dat dominante hedendaagse Afrika-Christologiee, bestudeer vanuit die oogpunt van Christelike soteriologie, nie altyd die Nuwe Testamentiese voorstelling van die persoonskap en die Kruis van Christus voldoende reflekteer nie. Dit blyk veral uit 'n ondersoek van die Briewe van Paulus. Ter afsluiting doen die studie aan die hand dat toekomstige werk oor Afrika- Christologiee krities geevalueer word ooreenkomstig hul ooreenstemming met die Protestantste hermeneutiese beginsel van Sola Scriptura.

The suffering that initially prompts ethical reflection is frequently forgotten in the generalised rational response of much contemporary International Relations theory. This thesis draws on Theodor W. Adorno and Gillian Rose to propose an alternative approach to suffering in world politics. Adorno argues suffering and trauma play a key role in the task of enlightening Enlightenment. They emphasise the concrete particularity of human existence in a way that is radically challenging to Enlightenment thought. Understanding suffering helps to drive a negative dialectics that preserves the non-identical (that which cannot be understood, manipulated or controlled by reason), holding it up against the instrumentalism and abstraction that have prevented Enlightenment thought from fulfilling its promise. Part One reviews contemporary approaches to international ethics in a way that draws out their affinity with the Enlightenment thought Adorno criticises. Despite their variety, liberal and Habermasian approaches to international ethics tend to be rational and problem-solving, to assume moral progress, to underestimate the importance of history and culture, and to neglect inner lives. They approach ethics in a way that pays too little attention to the social, historical, and cultural antecedents of suffering and therefore promotes solutions that, whilst in some ways inspiring, are too disconnected from the suffering they seek to address to be effective in practice. Part Two deepens the critique of modern ethics through an exposition of Adorno's work. It then draws on Adorno's conception of promise, Rose's writing on mourning and political risk, and a broader literature on ways of working through trauma to propose an alternative way of being in the world with ethical and political implications. I advocate a neo-Hegelian work of mourning, which deepens understanding of the complexities of violence and informs a difficult, tentative, anxiety-ridden taking of political risk in pursuit of a good enough justice.