Publisher's Synopsis
This work arises out of the author's reflection on the fundamental normative inquiries of "what ought I to do and what ought I to be? It basically focuses on addressing the social problem of violence which leaves humanity in despair. It does so through exploring and analyzing the moral outlooks of ethical egoism (natural and philosophical), theanthropic ethics (dogmatic and mystical), and ethics of responsibility (philosophical and theological) within their own historical context, conceptual perception, and argumentative description. Since ethics is ultimately alleged to direct our doing and define our being, the book examines how far these ethical beliefs are appropriately constructed so that they enable us to overcome violence and achieve harmonious peaceful coexistence. Moreover, besides the Western ethical tradition that suffers from emphasizing the philosophical influence of autonomous self and the religious view of heteronomous other, it introduces the Eastern ethical position of theanthroponomous moral being that derives out of transcendental (heteronomous) and immanental (autonomous) aspect of the ethical good, God. By disclosing the ontological unity of humanity, it not only attempts to bridge the Western and Eastern ethical worldviews but also uncovers human violent acts subtly backed by moral vindication. By bringing these three ethical positions that respectively represent radical autonomy, theanthroponomy, and relative heteronomy into conversation, this book offers the possibility of formulating a new ethical paradigm that fits the contemporary global culture.
