Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with the possibility and characterisation of
poststructural ethics and the ethics of general theories. It contains a review
of selected readings on Modernity and provides a "snapshot" of an ethical
system that is essentially rule based and privileges rationality. Some of the
problems with such a system, such as inflexibility, tolerance based on
superiority and force and the privileging of male gender is explored.
It proceeds by perusing some literature on postmodernity as an open ethical
system in which values are free floating and lists of rules are constantly
produced and disregarded in a dizzying ethical free for all in which "anything
goes". No value is considered more worthwhile than personal survival.
As a starting point for reading Modernity and postmodernity together, Levinas
introduces a radical perspective on ethics that can be read as a
condemnation of postmodern morality. He relates an ethics in which the
survival of the "other" is more important than the survival of the self.
However, he does not ground the metaphysics of such a privilege in
rationality or knowledge and hence does not turn it into an ethical rule, but
rather, subtly shifts the responsibility for the other person to an ultimate
responsibility for the Other as God.
This radical responsibility is rejected by deconstruction which does not reject
either postmodernity or Modernity but is an attempt to think through the limits
of rule-orientated rationality, free-play and mystical metaphysics to produce
an ethical awareness that has a sensitivity for the complexity of context.
Through the notion of "writing", the peculiarities it displays and the objections
it attracts, Derrida seeks to establish a uniquely ethical writing that is both a
stable manifestation of ethics and a dynamic engagement with those subject
to it.
With these readings in the background the thesis attempts to provide a
framework for poststructural ethics. It is an ethics based in the notion of
friendship but does not ground itself in any guarantees. It re-evaluates
rationality in terms of a sublime struggle for meaning and truth. This sublime
struggle offers a unique perspective on political debates that strive towards
responsible development for multicultural societies and also on a sociological
approach to law and the ability to dispense justice without undue prejudice.
The main contention of the thesis is that although poststructuralism does not
suppose a grounding metaphysics in either rationality or responsibility
towards God it cannot be satisfied with the self-indulgent nihilism of an
"anything goes" postmodernism. Thus, it depends on the notion of a
"complex system" that "self-organises" and produces limits through
spontaneous connections. Through the working of deconstruction complex
systems can take on a more human manifestation as friendships flourish and
decay through the interaction of faces. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gemoeid met die moontlikheid en karakterisering van
poststrukturele etiek en die etiek van algemene teorië. Dit bevat In
geselekteerde oorsig van Moderniteit en verskaf In "kiekie" van In etiese
sisteem wat essentieël op reëls gebasseer is en rationaliteit privilegieer.
Sommige probleme met so In sisteem, soos byvoorbeeld onbuigsaamheid,
verdraagsaamheid gegrond in superioriteit, geweld en die privilegieering van
manlikheid, word ondersoek.
Die studie sit voort deur sommige literatuur oor postmoderniteit as In oop
etiese sisteem onder oë te neem. So In sisteem veronderstel vryvloeiende
waardes en lyste van reëls wat gedurig geproduseer en geabandoneer word
in In duisligwekkende etiese vryspel wat beskryf kan word as "anything goes".
Geen waarde word hoër geag as persoonlike oorlewing nie.
As die beginpunt van In lesing wat Moderniteit en postmoderniteit met mekaar
in verband bring verskaf Levinas In radikale perspektief op etiek wat
verdoemend staan teenoor die moraliteit van postmoderniteit. Hy beskryf In
etiek waarin die oorlewing van die "ander" meer belangrik geag word as die
oorlewing van die self. Hy grond egter nie die metafisieka van so In voorreg
in rationaliteit of kennis nie, en lê dit dus nie neer as In etiese reël nie, maar
verskuif eerder op subtitle wyse verantwoordelikheid vir die ander persoon na
In uiteindelike verantwoordelikheid vir die Ander as God.
Laasgenoemde radikale verantwoordelikheid word deur dekonstruksie
verwerp in In poging om postmoderniteit en Moderniteit saam te snoer en die
limiete van reël-georiënteerde rationaliteit, vry-spel en mistiese metafisieka
deur te dink. Hierdeur word 'n etiese gewaarwording geproduseer wat
sensitiviteit vir die kompleksiteite van konteks vertoon. Deur die nosie van
"skryf', die eienaardighede en teenkanting daaraan verbonde, is Derrida op
soek na die neerlegging van In unike etiese skryf wat beide In stabille
manifestasie van etiek is en 'n dinamiese betrokkenheid by die wat daaraan
onderhewig staan.
Met hierdie leeswerk in die agtergrond poog die tesis om 'n raamwerk vir
poststrukturele etiek daar te stel. Dit is In etiek wat as basis die nosie van
vriendskap aanvaar sonder om enige waarborge uit te deel. Rationaliteit
word gere-evalueer in terme van In sublime stryd vir betekenis en waarheid.
Hierdie sublime stryd bring 'n unieke perspektief na politieke debatte wat
volhoubare ontwikkeling in multikulturele samelewings ten doel het en vir In
sosiologiese benadering tot die reg en regsvaardigheid.
Alhoewel poststrukturele etiek nie In metanarratief veronderstel, soos die
etiek van Moderniteit, nie kan dit egter ook nie tevrede wees met die
destabiliserende nihilisme van 'n "anything goes" postmodernisme nie.
Poststrukturele etiek steun dus swaar op die idee van 'n "komplekse sisteem"
wat self-organiseer en llrniette stel deur middel van spontane
konneksievorming. Deur die werking van dekonstruksie kan so In komplekse sisteem ook in meer menslike terme verwoord word as vriendskappe wat
groei en vergaan in die interaksie tussen "gesigte".
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51883 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Hamman, J. N. (Johannes Nicolaas) |
| Contributors | Cilliers, F. P., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 108 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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