Metodo

International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy

Series | Book | Chapter

212774

Nihilists, heroes, samaritans and I

Jill Stauffer

pp. 79-98

Abstract

A wide array of recent scholarly writing has expressed concern with a motivation deficit at the heart of secular liberal individualism. What drives persons to act on a sense of justice that transcends concern for self? This paper surveys two recent arguments—one from an atheist, Simon Critchley, the other from a Christian, Charles Taylor—about what that question means for justice and politics in the contemporary world. Critchley and Taylor agree that heroism is not enough: the actions of an exceptional individual do not necessarily motivate everyone else to act. The two thinkers also agree that motivation comes from somewhere other than the self's autonomy. However, they disagree about what that outside source is, and in that disagreement we may find useful resources for theorizing—across otherwise contentions divides—the emergence of a renewed commitment to ethical politics within secular liberalism.

Publication details

Published in:

Welchman Alistair (2015) Politics of religion/religions of politics. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 79-98

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-9448-0_6

Full citation:

Stauffer Jill (2015) „Nihilists, heroes, samaritans and I“, In: A. Welchman (ed.), Politics of religion/religions of politics, Dordrecht, Springer, 79–98.