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Name: The Ethics of Ambiguity
Rating: 4.5 (256 reviews)
Author: Simone de Beauvoir

Simone de Beauvoir

A foundational text of existentialist philosophy

4.5 (256 Bewertungen)

19 Min.

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Westliche Philosophie Theoretische Philosophie Ethik & Moral

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The Ethics of Ambiguity
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What's in it for me? Embrace your inherent freedom to determine your own life and achieve your full potential.

If you're reading this, it means you exist. It also means that, at this moment, you made the decision to learn about an aspect of philosophy. You could have done any number of other things, but you chose to be right here, right now.

At every moment of your life, you make decisions just like this. Although you've got to wonder: are you really making the best choices in every situation and taking advantage of your freedom to live the life you want? Or are you merely playing a character in someone else's script?

These aren't easy questions to answer, which shouldn't be surprising since they're the central ethical questions of human existence. That's where these blinks come in. They're based on a classic text from 1947, and are designed to help you find practical advice from the world of existentialist thought so that you can decide for yourself how to live your life.

In these blinks, you'll learn

which personality type you fall under in de Beauvoir's moral taxonomy of people;
how Salazar, the Fascist Portuguese dictator, squandered public money; and
when, if ever, violence is justified.

Human existence is fundamentally ambiguous.

What does it mean to be human?

Are we free-floating minds who like to reflect on the nature of existence or just animals steered by our innate drives? Are we rational individuals who act in our own interests or social beings defined by larger communities?

Unlike most moral doctrines, existentialism emphasizes personal freedom to determine your own life and values.

In the previous blink, we came to the conclusion that human beings are capable of changing and improving themselves. But what exactly should you change? In other words, what goals should you set to live a good life?

If you look at most doctrines of religion or philosophy, you'll find plenty of prepackaged answers to these questions. A Christian, for example, would likely tell you to be charitable to strangers, whereas a hedonist might tell you to maximize your pleasure.

Most of us don't take full advantage of our freedom.

As children, we're given ready-made world views and moral codes, and in our naivety, we take them at face value. But as we grow up, we learn, often to our dismay, that our parents aren't infallible, that the things we were told aren't indisputable, and that the values handed to us aren't immutable.

According to author de Beauvoir's moral taxonomy of people, different people mature to different extents. The more we mature, the more we become aware of our freedom. Unfortunately, many people don't fully mature, which means that many of us aren’t living up to our full potential.

It's not possible to adopt a completely disinterested perspective.

Imagine your best friend recommends you watch a certain film or listen to a certain album. It's not quite your usual thing, but you decide to keep an open mind and give it a go.

What you just did is similar to what many professional critics do. They try to put their own tastes, prejudices, and biases aside so that they can take an honest, objective view of the art.

We have a responsibility to resist oppression wherever it emerges.

Existentialists are often criticized for overstating just how free humans actually are. Surely we're not free to do whatever we want, right? After all, it’s just not within your power to change the weather or overthrow the government.

Well, existentialists would agree with you. Their position on human freedom can be summarized as radical free will but radically limited power.

Real, concrete individuals should always come before abstract ideals.

Appealing to the “natural” state of things isn’t the only argument oppressors have used to justify their rule over other human beings. Another common strategy has been to justify oppression by appealing to its usefulness.

In this case, oppressors often pay lip-service to the idea that the oppressed group is in an undesirable situation. But, in the end, they argue that it’s necessary for the fulfillment of some “higher value” or other.

Violence is sometimes justified, but only under very specific circumstances.

We’ve just learned that real people should come before abstract values. If values come first, we end up with the socialist dictator who sacrifices innocents for the sake of the revolution or the equally tyrannical fascist who, in the name of the nation, also treats humans as disposable for the sake of “a greater cause.”

Most of us agree that this kind of oppression isn't justified. But what are we supposed to do about it? One thing we might think is off-limits is the use of violence, which many people believe makes us just as bad as the oppressors. The author believes that in some situations, violence is unfortunately the right option.

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Worum geht es in The Ethics of Ambiguity?

The Ethics of Ambiguity (1947) is one of the foundational texts of existentialist philosophy. It's both a succinct summary of existentialist thought and a thorough interrogation of its ethical ramifications in the real world. By reflecting on what it means to be human, this book is a call to recognize and act upon one fundamental truth of our existence: that we are free.

Bestes Zitat aus The Ethics of Ambiguity

Since we do not succeed in fleeing it, let us, therefore, try to look the truth in the face. Let us try to assume our fundamental ambiguity.

—Simone de Beauvoir

Wer The Ethics of Ambiguity lesen sollte

Philosophically minded people who want to understand their existence.
Activists who seek to make the world a better place.
Anyone who exists and wants to know what to do about it.

Über den Autor

Simone de Beauvoir was a French intellectual, writer, activist, feminist, and philosopher. A prolific writer, de Beauvoir wrote across multiple genres, including literature, social commentary, and biography, although she's most famous for her contributions to existentialist philosophy and feminism. She's noted especially for her groundbreaking book The Second Sex, which has since become one of the foundational texts of contemporary feminism.

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