Knud Ejler Lgstrup

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Knud Ejler Lgstrup
Knud Ejler Lgstrup
Born 2 September 1905
Copenhagen, Denmark
Died 20 November 1981 (aged76)
Era 20th-century philosophy
Region Western Philosophy
School Continental philosophy
Maininterests Philosophy of religion, Phenomenology, Ethics
Notableideas the 'ethical demand,' the 'sovereign expressions of life'
Knud Ejler Lgstrup (1905!1981) was a Danish philosopher and theologian.
Lgstrup was an ethical intuitionist who was critical of rule-based ethics of the type advocated by Immanuel Kant. In
other words, he disliked ethical systems which try to determine basic moral laws.
Lgstrup mentions philosopher Stephen Toulmin's example of an everyday situation: "I have borrowed a book from
John and the question is now, why should I give it back today as I promised him?", Toulmin asks in order to derive
more general moral rules. But if I give John back his book because "I should always keep my promises" or because
of the more general rule "I should never lie", I treat him as a means; this is unethical, as well. In the 1930es Lgstrup
was a part of the Tidehverv movement in Danish theology which at the time espoused a dialectical theology, he left
the movement in the early 1950s.
Morality is not about rules, but about the so-called 'sovereign expressions of life'. All men have an intuitive feeling
of right and wrong. 'Sovereign expressions of life' includes feelings and actions as open speech, trust, compassion,
mercy, and love. These phenomena are intrinsically good. A good example is open speech. Even when secret police
are searching an apartment, the people living there cannot help but speak with the police sergeant, because it feels
intuitively natural to do so.
Moral laws are only substitutes for intuition in situations where these intuitive feelings fails to lead to action. For
instance, the Golden rule is a substitute for compassion.
So, Lgstrup takes the opposite point of view to Kant, who believed that moral laws are the only truly moral basis
for action, and that natural desires can never be moral.
Translated works
Knud Lgstrup. Metaphysics. Marquette University, Milwaukee, 1995. translated and with an introduction by
Russell L. Dees. ISBN 0-87462-603-X.
Knud Lgstrup. The Ethical Demand. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, 1997. Introduction by Hans
Fink and Alasdair MacIntyre. ISBN 0-268-00934-1.
Knud Lgstrup. Beyond the Ethical Demand. University of Notre Dame Press, Notre Dame, 2007.
Knud Ejler Lgstrup
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Secondary works
Andersen, S. & Niekerk, K. (eds.). Concern for the Other. Perspectives on the Ethics of K.E. Lgstrup (Notre
Dame, University of Notre Dame Press, 2007).
Johann-Christian Pder, Evidenz des Ethischen. Die Fundamentalethik Knud E. Lgstrups (Tbingen, Mohr
Siebeck, 2011).
External links
The Lgstrup Archive
[1]
Works by or about Knud Ejler Lgstrup
[2]
in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
References
[1] http:/ / www. rokade. dk/ loegstrup/index.php?sprog=en
[2] http:/ / worldcat.org/ identities/lccn-n50-81721
Article Sources and Contributors
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Article Sources and Contributors
Knud Ejler Lgstrup Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=540058503 Contributors: Adailton, AndersFeder, Avocado, Bobo192, Buffyg, Closedmouth, D6, Dsp13, Eruantalon,
EstherLois, Fadesga, Fr Pavel, Fredrik, Gonzohermit, Horsten, Inwind, JLaTondre, John Vandenberg, Karl Dickman, Kate, Legenhausen, Lilac Soul, Lucidish, Marudubshinki, Maunus, Michael
Hardy, MortenKristensen, Omnipaedista, Pavium, Paxse, Pstokes, Radgeek, RedWolf, Suisui, Terot, WhiteC, Wildt, 4 anonymous edits
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