Agape Ethics: Moral Realism and Love for All Life

161 Pages·2016·2.25 MB·English

by  William Greenway

“Bill Greenway wants to awaken us to a primordial love that draws us into
relationships of care for all creatures. Along the way he offers a valuable
critique of modernity’s scientism and rationalism that drains the universe
of mystery and ensconces the human as the sole locus of worth among all
things. Arguing for a moral realism grounded in agape, Greenway offers
us a moral vision of the infinite value of every creature that can, in turn,
inform human ethical decision-making and action at a time when so much
life on Earth is endangered. ”
—TimoThy h. Robinson
Lunger Associate Professor of Spiritual Resources and Disciplines, Brite Divinity School
“In Agape Ethics, Greenway skillfully engages philosophy, theology, eth-
ics, and moral reasoning in a work that wades into the complex world in
which we find ourselves: evermore aware of the beauty and complexity of
the planet’s eco-systems and inhabitants, while also aware of the difficult
ethical challenges facing us as human actions threaten the planetary com-
munity. Williams’ enlivening prose invites the reader in, equipping the
reader with the tools to think morally and act ethically while embracing all
creatures with love and gratitude. It is an important contribution between
philosophy and theology, illuminating how to ethically and spiritually take
our place as fellow creatures on the planet.”
—LauReL D. KeaRns
co-author of Eco-Spirit: Theologies and Philosophies for the Earth;
Associate Professor, Drew Theological School

agape ethics

agape eThics
moral Realism and Love for all Life
William Greenway
AGApE EthIcs
Moral Realism and Love for All Life
copyright © 2016 William Greenway. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations
in critical publications or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any
manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write: permissions,
Wipf and stock publishers, 199 W. 8th Ave., suite 3, Eugene, OR 97401.
cascade Books
An Imprint of Wipf and stock publishers
199 W. 8th Ave., suite 3
Eugene, OR 97401
www.wipfandstock.com
paperback isbn: 978-1-4982-0238-1
hardcover isbn: 978-1-4982-8613-8
ebook isbn: 978-1-4982-0239-8
Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Names: Greenway, William.
Agape ethics : moral realism and love for all life. / William Greenway.
Description: Eugene, OR: cascade Books, 2016 | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: isbn 978-1-4982-0238-1 (paperback) | isbn 978-1-4982-8613-8 (hardcover) |
isbn 978-1-4982-0239-8 (ebook)
subjects: Lcsh: 1. Animal welfare—Moral and ethical aspects. | 2. Agape. | 3. Ethics. | I.
title.
classification: Bt746 .G75 2016 (paperback) | call number (ebook)
Manufactured in the U.s.A. 12/08/16
New Revised standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of christian Edu-
cation of the National council of the churches of christ in the United states of
America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
For Cindy and Kiki

contents
Acknowledgements | ix
Introduction | 1
Part One: Awakening and Agape
Chapter 1
Love Diminished, Love Betrayed | 11
Chapter 2
Morality Diminished, Morality Betrayed | 24
Chapter 3
A Spirit Not Quite Lost: Rekindling the Spark | 36
Part Two: Science, Scientism, Morality
Chapter 4
Science not Scientism | 53
Chapter 5
Excursus On the Illusion of an Argument:
Daniel Dennett’s Consciousness Explained | 65
Chapter 6
Affirming Science and Moral Realism | 76