Date of Award
Spring 2003
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Philosophy
First Advisor
Tallon, Andrew
Second Advisor
Ibanez-Noe, Javier
Third Advisor
Stohrer, Walter
Abstract
When I tell fellow philosophers that I am writing my dissertation on Heideggerian ethics, I am often met with puzzled looks and frequently, people will say, "but there is no such thing!" I have found that this comment can have several different meanings. Often, it refers to the fact that Heidegger never wrote a work that gave a detailed account of morality or addressed the issue of what specific actions may be considered right or wrong. Because he avoids such an explicit discussion of the topic, people often conclude that Heidegger must believe that morality is unimportant and not worthy of consideration. However, there are other philosophers whose work has ethical implications, such as William James, who never wrote a single work summarizing their ethical views, and this fact does not seem to be as controversial for them as it is with regard to Heidegger (Bruzina 1982, 37)...