Drawing on a vast array of sources, from Plato to modern science, one of the most eminent ethicists offers an ambitious new vision of ethics in a world that transcends the human dimension.
Some view Christian theology as a major source of human uniqueness. However, it is not necessary to read heritage in this way.
In this ambitious book, Jennifer A. Heardt how there are powerful theological resources to deconstruct the hierarchy of being that uses proximity to man and God as a measure of the value of creatures.Dismantling this “great chain,” it is based on Dionysius' pseudo-image of the great wheel of which God is the center, and on which the radii of the creatures rest. Each individual creature derives its existence and value directly from God; no one is closer to the Word or farther from it.By reinventing the ancient practice of the theory of nature, the contemplation of nature, Heardt explores the practical response to the good that we humans share with other animals. Non-human dimensions of moral agency include empathy and caring, cooperation, sensitivity to fairness, recognition of social norms and roles, animal virtues, and play.At a moment when human tendencies are under attack, and the rapid development of AI is creating an identity crisis for self-aware organic life forms, this book invites us to recognize the very human limits of our concepts and practices.
