Gabriel Marcel's Ethics of Hope: Evil, God and Virtue

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

The idea of 'hope' has received significant attention in the political sphere recently. But is hope just wishful thinking, or can it be something more than a political catch-phrase This book argues that hope can be understood existentially, or on the basis of what it means to be human. Under this conception of hope, given to us by Gabriel Marcel, hope is not optimism, but the creation of ways for us to flourish. War, poverty and an absolute reliance on technology are real-life evils that can suffocate hope.

Marcel's thought provides a way to overcome these negative experiences. An ethics of hope can function as an alternative to isolation, dread, and anguish offered by most existentialists. This book presents Marcel's existentialism as a convincing, relevant moral theory; founded on the creation of hope, interwoven with the individual's response to the death of God. Jill Hernandez argues that today's reader of Marcel can resonate with his belief that the experience of pain can be transcended through a philosophy of hope and an escape from materialism.

Reviews

This book brings a new perspective to the philosophy of Gabriel Marcel. Relying on many new sources, Jill Graper Hernandez's analysis and application of Marcel's ethical thinking, especially his critique of materialism and his cautions about technology, are timely and perceptive.Her articulation of Marcel's rich philosophy of the human person in terms of a concrete, relational ethic makes this study an indispensable contribution to recent Marcelian scholarship. -- Brendan Sweetman, Professor of Philosophy, Rockhurst University, USA
Existentially speaking, if Camus is the razor-sharp diagnostician of our human plight, then Gabriel Marcel is the healing presence' in this irresolute situation.Jill Graper-Hernandez has written an incisive, careful and textually grounded version of Marcel's rich philosophical grasp of the power of hope in the midst of widespread rancor and cacophony.This book is a signal contribution to our reflective lives. -- John J. McDermott, University Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and Humanities, Texas A&M University, USA

Author Bio

Jill Graper Hernandez is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at San Antonio, USA.