Ethics of the Second Person

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Ethics of the Second Person

Love, Goodness, and Relationality

Phenomenology and Existentialism Ethics and moral philosophy

Author: Philip Strammer

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Collection: Religion and Philosophy

Language: English

Published by: Palgrave Macmillan

Published on: 14th February 2026

Format: LCP-protected ePub

ISBN: 9783032143532


Introduction

This book reimagines the foundations of moral philosophy by centering on the ethical significance of second-personal experience—our direct, lived responsiveness to others. Philip Strammer challenges the dominance of both naturalist and transcendental traditions, arguing that neither adequately accounts for the moral depth of the I–You relation.

Philosophical Foundations

Drawing on Martin Buber’s dialogical philosophy and enriched by post-Wittgensteinian moral thought, the book explores conscience, remorse, and saintliness as second-personal phenomena. At its heart is the concept of lovingness—a wholehearted, unmediated openness to otherness—as the key to understanding moral meaning and the manifestation of goodness.

Methodology and Approach

Through rigorous philosophical analysis and vivid phenomenological examples, Strammer offers a compelling alternative to moral theories moving within the subject-object dichotomy.

Target Audience and Significance

This work will appeal to scholars and advanced students in ethics, phenomenology, moral psychology, and religious thought, offering a fresh and challenging perspective on what it means to live a morally responsive life with and among others.

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