Kierkegaard and the Limits of the Ethical - Hardcover

Rudd, Anthony

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198240244 ISBN 13: 9780198240242

Publisher: Clarendon Press, 1993

Synopsis

Soren Kierkegaard is one of the most important and influential figures in the history of European thought, representing the continental tradition of philosophy, but has been neglected by most British analytic philosophers. Anthony Rudd seeks to bridge the gap between the two traditions by showing analytic philosophers that Kierkegaard's ideas are relevant to their concerns. This volume is a discussion of some of Kierkegaard's central ideas, showing their relevance to contemporary debates in epistemology, ethics and the philosophy of religion. Rudd's aim is not simply to expound Kierkegaard's ideas, but to draw on them creatively in order to illuminate questions about the foundations of morality and the nature of personal identity, as discussed by analytical philosophers such as MacIntyre, Parfit, Williams and Foot. Rudd seeks a way forward from the sterile conflict between the view that morality and religion are based on objective reasoning, and the view that they are merely expressions of subjective emotions. He argues that morality and religion must be understood in terms of the individual's search for a sense of meaning in his or her own life, but emphasizes that this does not imply that values are arbitrary or merely subjective.

About this title

Review

written in a clear, vigorous style and is accessible even to undergraduates ... What he has accomplished is to bring Kierkegaard into fruitful conversation with contemporary ethical debate; Kierkegaard becomes a philosopher who has something worthwhile to say such figures as Bernard Williams, Derek Parfit, and Alasdair MacIntyre. Furthermore, he has accomplished this with vigor and style. It is a book that has great interest for readers of Kierkegaard, but even more significance for those interested in the foundations of ethics. (Philosophical Review)

a short, lucid, and unobjectionable introduction to some of Kierkegaard's major philosophical stances; to those readers who need it to be enhanced, it will enhance Kierkegaard's relevance to today's moral discussions. It is a very interesting book indeed. (Journal of Theological Studies)

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198240244
• ISBN 13: 9780198240242
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 198