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Full-Text Articles in History of Philosophy
The 'Death Of The Author' In Hegel And Kierkegaard: On Berthold's 'The Ethics Of Authorship', Antony Aumann
The 'Death Of The Author' In Hegel And Kierkegaard: On Berthold's 'The Ethics Of Authorship', Antony Aumann
Faculty Works
In The Ethics of Authorship, Daniel Berthold depicts G. W. F. Hegel and Søren Kierkegaard as endorsing two postmodern principles. The first is an ethical ideal. Authors should abdicate their traditional privileged position as arbiters of their texts’ meaning. They should allow readers to determine this meaning for themselves. Only by doing so will they help readers attain genuine selfhood. The second principle is a claim about language. To wit, language cannot express an author’s thoughts. I argue that if the claim about language holds, the ethical ideal becomes superfluous. In addition, if Berthold has identified Hegel and Kierkegaard’s views …
On The Validity Of Pascal's Wager, Antony Aumann
On The Validity Of Pascal's Wager, Antony Aumann
Faculty Works
Recent scholarship has shown that the success of Pascal’s wager rests on precarious grounds. To avoid notorious problems, it must appeal to considerations such as what probability we assign to the existence of various gods and what religion we think provides the greatest happiness in this life. Rational judgments concerning these matters are subject to change over time. Some claim that the wager therefore cannot support a steadfast commitment to God. I argue that this conclusion does not follow. By drawing upon the line of reasoning employed in getting married, I explain how unstable considerations can provide a sufficient rational …