Thesis (MPhil (Philosophy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study finds its roots in the ancient quarrel, as mentioned by Plato 400 BC, between poets
(artists) and philosophers on the nature of our ethical existence. The ancient philosophers
participating in the ancient quarrel, such as Plato, had a metaphysical understanding of our
existence and they believed that we should communicate about our ethical existence through a
style which acknowledges the transcendental nature of our human existence. The styles and
language used by the philosophers of the ancient quarrel were therefore often very abstract,
and mostly concerned with the rationality of human reasoning. The ancient poets participating
in this quarrel, however, did not share the metaphysical worldview of their philosophical rivals.
They denied the transcendental nature of our existence, and argued that our ethical existence
should be portrayed and communicated through a style which acknowledges the fact that we
are humans with a concrete existence. The poets of the ancient quarrel also promoted a style
which acknowledges humans as beings with both rational and emotional faculties. It is for this
reason that we find today in literature concerned with moral matters, both the abstract style of
moral philosophy which is concerned with the rational aspects of our existence, and the
concrete style of fictional literature which is concerned with the emotive aspects of our
existence. The quarrel on how to communicate about the nature of our ethical existence is,
however, an ongoing debate which is still prevalent in our modern times.
This study turns to the modern argument of Martha Nussbaum on how to communicate about
the nature of our ethical existence. Nussbaum argues that the abstract style of philosophical
texts on morality acknowledges the abstract and rational aspects of our human nature and
existence, but that it often fails to fully acknowledge the fact that we are concrete human
beings for whom emotions play an integral part in our ethical existence. She therefore believes
that moral philosophy should be presented in combination with fictional literature in order to
give a true and complete picture of our ethical existence. This study thus enters into a critical
dialogue with Nussbaum on her proposal to combine fictional literature with moral philosophy. Accordingly, this study focuses on three specific aspects of our ethical existence, which
Nussbaum argues, are acknowledged through fictional literature such as novels, but not through
the typical style of abstract moral philosophy. They are; 1) that human values are plural and
often incommensurable; 2) that the particulars of situations play an important role in ethical
deliberation; and 3) that human emotions and the imagination form a big part of our ethical
existence. The fundamental aim of this study is thus to answer the question whether the style of
fictional literature actually acknowledges the three above mentioned aspects of our ethical
existence. The novel which is used to determine this is Alan Paton’s Cry the Beloved Country.
Nussbaum classifies the three above mentioned aspects of our ethical existence as 1) The Non-
Commensurability and Plurality of Values; 2) Priority of the Particular; and 3) Ethical Value of the
Emotions and Imagination. These three aspects are, however, derived from Aristotle’s ethics
and they form, as Nussbaum has argued, the bases of the Aristotelian ethical position – a
position from which practical knowledge can be obtained. The aim of this study is therefore not
only to determine whether certain fictional literature acknowledges the three fundamental
aspects of the Aristotelian ethical position, but it also aims to answer the question whether the
Aristotelian ethical position (and therefore practical wisdom) can be obtained through the
reading of fictional literature such as novels.
The study concludes that some fictional literature, such as the novel Cry, the Beloved Country,
does in fact adequately portray the three fundamental features of the Aristotelian ethical
position, and that Nussbaum’s proposal should receive serious consideration, since the inclusion
of some fictional literature into moral philosophy my lead to deeper ethical understanding from
which practical wisdom can be obtained. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie vind sy oorsprong in die eeue oue stryd, soos al reeds geïdentifiseer deur Plato
400 vC, tussen digters (kunstenaars) en filosowe oor die aard van ons etiese bestaan. Die
antieke filosowe wat deelgeneem het aan hierdie eeue oue vete, soos byvoorbeeld Plato, het ‘n
metafisiese verstaan van ons bestaan gehad, en het daarom geglo dat ons oor ons etiese
bestaan moet kommunikeer deur middel van style wat erkenning gee aan die transendentale
aard van ons menslike bestaan. Die style en taal wat deur die filosowe van hierdie eeue oue
vete gebruik is, was dus dikwels baie abstrak en uiters bemoeid met die mens se rasionele
denkvermoëns. Die antieke digters wat deelgeneem het aan hierdie vete het egter nie, soos die
filosowe, ‘n metafisiese wêreldbeskouing van ons bestaan gehad nie. Hulle het die transendente
aard van ons bestaan ontken, en het daarom daarop aangedring dat ons etiese bestaan
voorgestel en oor gekommunikeer moet word deur style wat erkenning gee aan die feit dat ons
mense is met ‘n konkrete bestaan. Hulle het egter ook aangedring op ‘n styl wat erkenning gee
dat mense beide rasionele en emosionele wesens is. Dit is weens hierdie rede dat ons vandag, in
literatuur aangaande morele kwessies, die abstrakte en meer rasioneel geöriënteerde styl van
morele filosofie, sowel as die konkrete en meer emosioneel geöriënteerde styl van fiktiewe
literatuur aantref. Daar is egter vandag steeds nie klaarheid oor hoe daar oor ons etiese bestaan
gekommunikeer moet word nie, en onenigheid is dus steeds te bespeur in huidige debatte oor
hierdie tema.
Hierdie studie ondersoek ‘n moderne argument, soos voortgestaan deur Martha Nussbaum, oor
die wyse waarop daar oor die aard van ons etiese bestaan gekommunikeer moet word.
Nussbaum neem die standpunt in dat die abstrakte styl van morele filosofiese tekste erkenning
gee aan die abstrakte en rasionele aard van ons menslike aard en bestaan, maar dat dit nie altyd
daarin slaag om erkenning te gee dat ons mense is met ‘n konkrete etiese bestaan waarin
emosies (eerder as net rasionele denke) ook ‘n baie belangrike rol speel nie. Hierdie studie
neem dus die vorm aan van ‘n kritiese dialoog met Nussbaum aangaande haar voorstel om fiktiewe literatuur te kombineer met morele filosofie. Gevolglik fokus hierdie studie op drie
spesifieke aspekte van ons etiese bestaan, wat Nussbaum glo wel deur fiktiewe literatuur
aangespreek word maar nie altyd deur tekste van morele filosofie nie. Hierdie drie aspekte is 1)
dat menslike waardes uiteenlopend en dikwels onversoenbaar is; 2) dat die partikuliere
elemente van situasies ’n belangrike rol speel in etiese besluitneming; en 3) dat ons menslike
emosies en verbeelding ’n groot deel uitmaak van ons etiese bestaan. Die fundamentele doel
van hierdie studie is dus om te bepaal of die styl van fiktiewe literatuur wel erkenning gee aan
die drie bogenoemde aspekte van ons etiese bestaan. Die fiktiewe werk wat gebruik is om dit te
bepaal, is Alan Paton se Cry, the Beloved Country.
Nussbaum klassifiseer die drie bogenoemde aspekte van ons etiese bestaan as 1)
Onversoenbaarheid and Pluraliteit van Waardes; 2) Prioriteit van die Partikuliere; en 3) Etiese
Waarde van die Emosies en Verbeelding. Hierdie klassifikasie vind egter sy oorsprong in die etiek
van Aristoteles, en vorm dus volgens Nussbaum die basis van die Aristoteliaanse etiese posisie –
‘n posisie van waaruit praktiese wysheid geput kan word. Die doel van hierdie studie is dus nie
net om te bepaal of fiktiewe literatuur erkenning gee aan die drie fundamentele aspekte van die
Aristoteliaanse etiese posisie nie, maar die doel is ook om te bepaal of die Aristoteliaanse etiese
posisie (en dus praktiese wysheid) bekom kan word deur die lees van fiktiewe literatuur.
Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat sekere fiktiewe literatuur, soos die werk Cry, the
Beloved Country, inderdaad wel bevredigende erkenning gee aan die drie eienskappe van ons
etiese bestaan, soos veronderstel deur die Aristoteliaanse etiese posisie, en dat Nussbaum se
voorstel ernstige aandag behoort te geniet, aangesien die insluiting van sekere fiktiewe
literatuur in morele filosofie ‘n dieper etiese verstaan teweeg kan bring, waaruit praktiese
wysheid geput kan word.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4116 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Lourens, Hesti |
| Contributors | Hattingh, Johan, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Philosophy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 92 p. |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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