Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics
This paper addresses the persistent philosophical problem posed by the amoralist—one who eschews moral values—by drawing on complementary resources within phenomenology and care ethics. How is it that the amoralist can reject ethical injunctions that serve the general good and be unpersuaded by ethi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Philosophies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/3/67 |
| _version_ | 1797225351933329408 |
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| author | Anya Daly |
| author_facet | Anya Daly |
| author_sort | Anya Daly |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper addresses the persistent philosophical problem posed by the amoralist—one who eschews moral values—by drawing on complementary resources within phenomenology and care ethics. How is it that the amoralist can reject ethical injunctions that serve the general good and be unpersuaded by ethical intuitions that for most would require neither explanation nor justification? And more generally, what is the basis for ethical motivation? Why is it that we can care for others? What are the underpinning ontological structures that are able to support an ethics of care? To respond to these questions, I draw on the work of Merleau-Ponty, focusing specifically on his analyses of perceptual attention. What is the nature and quality of perceptual attention that underwrite our capacities or incapacities for care? I proceed in dialogue with a range of philosophers attuned to the compelling nature of care, some who have also drawn on Merleau-Ponty and others who have examined the roots of an ethics of care inspired or incited by other thinkers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:44:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-76ed00aa27d84717a5b9aacfbb24fb49 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T14:07:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj.art-76ed00aa27d84717a5b9aacfbb24fb492024-04-03T09:57:02ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872022-06-01736710.3390/philosophies7030067Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care EthicsAnya Daly0Philosophy and Gender Studies, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS 7250, AustraliaThis paper addresses the persistent philosophical problem posed by the amoralist—one who eschews moral values—by drawing on complementary resources within phenomenology and care ethics. How is it that the amoralist can reject ethical injunctions that serve the general good and be unpersuaded by ethical intuitions that for most would require neither explanation nor justification? And more generally, what is the basis for ethical motivation? Why is it that we can care for others? What are the underpinning ontological structures that are able to support an ethics of care? To respond to these questions, I draw on the work of Merleau-Ponty, focusing specifically on his analyses of perceptual attention. What is the nature and quality of perceptual attention that underwrite our capacities or incapacities for care? I proceed in dialogue with a range of philosophers attuned to the compelling nature of care, some who have also drawn on Merleau-Ponty and others who have examined the roots of an ethics of care inspired or incited by other thinkers.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/3/67ontologyattentionperceptionethicsethics of carephenomenology |
| spellingShingle | Anya Daly Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics Philosophies ontology attention perception ethics ethics of care phenomenology |
| title | Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics |
| title_full | Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics |
| title_fullStr | Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics |
| title_short | Ontology and Attention: Addressing the Challenge of the Amoralist through Merleau-Ponty’s Phenomenology and Care Ethics |
| title_sort | ontology and attention addressing the challenge of the amoralist through merleau ponty s phenomenology and care ethics |
| topic | ontology attention perception ethics ethics of care phenomenology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/7/3/67 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anyadaly ontologyandattentionaddressingthechallengeoftheamoralistthroughmerleaupontysphenomenologyandcareethics |