AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

Reinhold Niebuhr holds that the ultimate principle of ethics transcends every historical fact and reality. This absolute principle is perfect love. It is only through a profound Biblical faith that one can discern this love, and it can never be fully known or concretely realized in history. As a principle of comprehension beyond our comprehension it remains an "impossible possibility." In the treatment of this transcendent love ethic are centered many of the basic issues in Niebuhr's moral theory. It is the purpose of this dissertation to investigate the ethical relativism implicit and explicit in both the formal ethical theory and the practical applications of Niebuhr's conception of absolute love. In Chapter I we define ethical relativism as the view that, due to the limitations of human reason and the evidence of conflicting moral standards and frustrated ideals, man as man is incapable, apart from the intervention of supernatural aid or social pressure, of making universally normative valid distinctions concerning the nature of right and the good, and of formulating general ethical principles that can function concretely as a constructive guide to men in their personal and collective conduct. Chapter II sets forth the general ethical theory of Reinhold Niebuhr. Chapter III surveys the ethical theories of representative theists who hold to a rational approach to morality. These are: Henry Sidgwick, Thomas Hill Green, William Ritchie Sorley, Frederick Robert Tennant, Edgar Sheffield Brightman, and Walter Goodnow Everett. Our purpose here is to indicate that Niebuhr is in error in asserting that all rationalists claim to be able to know absolute truth or that they are involved in idolatry in holding that the reason of man is a divine instrument capable of ordering and redirecting the natural impulses toward an increasing perfection of personal and social life. We then analyze Niebuhr's criticism of rational morality, followed by our own defense of reason in ethics. Chapter IV carries the issues of rationalism in ethics (objectivity of moral principles) versus irrationalism (relativity of moral ideals) into the discussion of man's vocation in the universe. Chapter V surveys Niebuhr's view of God in history, followed by a critique of his position indicating his ethical relativism. Chapter VI is a search for evidence of ethical relativism in Niebuhr's concept of community. Chapter VII employs the same methodology of interpretation and criticism in the discussion of freedom. This chapter includes a statement of Brightman's concept of positive personal freedom. Chapter VIII summarizes Niebuhr's view of war and peace, followed by our criticism of his thought. At the end of each chapter we have included a summary of the specific aspects of Niebuhr's thinking illustrating ethical relativism. The following conclusions are drawn from this investigation of ethical relativism in Reinhold Niebuhr. 1. When Niebuhr denies that man has the moral capacity to make universally normative valid distinctions concerning the nature…