Kierkegaard's Ethic of Love Divine Commands and Moral Obligations [Hardcover]

C. Stephen Evans explains and defends Kierkegaard's account of moral obligations as rooted in God's commands, the fundamental command being `You shall love your neighbour as yourself'. The work will be of interest not only to those interested in Kierkegaard, but also to those interested in the relation between ethics and religion, especially questions about whether morality can or must have a religious foundation. As well as providing a comprehensive reading of Kierkegaard as an ethical thinker, Evans puts him into conversation with contemporary moral theorists. Kierkegaard's divine command theory is shown to be an account that safeguards human flourishing, as well as protecting the proper relations between religion and state in a pluralistic society.

1. God and Moral Obligation: Is a Link Possible?
2. The Ethical as a `Stage' of Existence:Either/Orand Radical Choice
3. `The Ethical' inFear and Trembling
4. The Ethical Task as the Human Task
5. Divine Commands as the Basis for Moral Obligation
6. The Humanistic Character of Commanded Love
7. Divine Commands: How Given and To Whom?
8. Who Is My Neighbour? Can Love Be a Duty?
9. Neighbour Love, Natural Loves, and Social Relations
10. Contemporary Meta-Ethical Alternatives: Evolutionary Naturalism
11. Contemporary Meta-Ethical Alternatives: Humanistic Naturalism
12. Contemporary Meta-Ethical Alternatives: Relativism and Nihilism
13. Conclusions: Divine Command Morality in a Pluralistic Society

C. Stephen Evansis Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Baylor University.