Kierkegaard: Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself as a Basis for Ethics :: Morals Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Kierkegaard Love Thy Neighbor as Thy egotism as a flat coat for Ethics Thou shalt have it away the Lord thy God with every last(predicate) thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. This is the first and great dictationment. And the second is handle unto it, Thou shalt love thy populate as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the righteousness and the prophets. Matthew 2237-40, AV When you open the door which you shut in order to entreat to God, the first person you meet as you go out is your neighbour whom you shall love. Wonderful Kierkegaard, p.64 1 Introduction This paper is a philosophical geographic expedition of some aspects and implications of the second great commandment, to love thy neighbor as thyself, which Kierkegaard called the royal command. This is often thought to be the heart of Christian ethics Wattles, p.8. This agape-obligation has seemed to some to pose difficulties. Macquarrie and Kierkegaard both recognize that there has been obj ection. Macquarrie several(prenominal) times notes his opposition to the belief,that honourable laws are the heteronomous commands of a transcendent deity who demands obedience. p.219f and even worse, imposed on creatures from whom he is wholly other, a command, moreover, which they have no capacity to obey except by grace alone, while this grace, in turn, seems to be also external and has to be infused from outside. p.221 Kierkegaard wrote that,to the pagan, this command You shall love will not only surprise him but will disturb him and be an disrespect to him. p.41 It may perhaps offend you well, you know it anyway, that Christianity is always accompanied by signs of offense. Nevertheless believe it .... Do not stop believing because the command almost offends you. p.74 The thesis of this paper is that, setting aside the question of moral offense that has disturbed commentators from Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason) to William Empson (Miltons God), agape to neighbor makes sens e experience only under monotheistic or specifically Christian assumptions, and therefore, the aged saw, Christianity may not be factually true, but it has a opulent ethical teaching, is problematical. A number of issues inevitably arise in any serious discussion of agape. Some of these issues are discussed in the sections at a lower place 2.1 How is love for God like love for neighbor?2.2 Is Gods love for me like my love for neighbor?2.3 How is love for neighbor like love of self?