Ethischer Materialismus

The normativity of human nature is once again a central topic in philosophy today. Unlike the prevailing neo-Aristotelian and Hegelian voices in current discussions, Philip Hogh's study begins with human suffering as a fundamental experience for humans as self-conscious, objective species beings. Suffering is understood as the demand of human beings for a different life. To elucidate this guiding idea of the investigation, a methodological approach to human suffering is first developed, drawing on Adorno's concept of natural history, which understands the capacity for suffering as a natural determination bound to the corporeality of human beings, while factual suffering is always seen as the suffering of specific human beings under historically and socially changeable forms of life. Engaging with Aristotle, ethical naturalism, Hegel, Marx, psychoanalysis, and contemporary social philosophical positions, a critical theory of suffering is developed that derives the necessity for practical change from the determination of its subjects. The normative focal point of this ethical materialism thus lies in the abolition of unnecessary suffering.