Without Guilt and Justice: From Decidophobia to Autonomy [Hardcover]

Walter Arnold. Kaufmann (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: David McKay Co (April 1973)
• ISBN-10: 088326059X
• ISBN-13: 978-0883260593
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,535,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Morality for Realistic Humanists, March 25, 1999

By 

David Kleist - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without Guilt and Justice: From Decidophobia to Autonomy (Hardcover)

Kaufmann's WITHOUT GUILT AND JUSTICE is a neglected classic of twentieth-century moral realism. His analyses are succinct, searing, insightful, and superb. Anyone who takes seriously the philosophical tradition of critical thinking should read this challenging masterpiece.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For the autonomous person looking for philosophical justification and direction, April 27, 2006

By 

Kirk Petersen (Eldorado Spgs, Colo.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Without Guilt and Justice: From Decidophobia to Autonomy (Hardcover)

Kaufmann's personal books are not just about philosophy. Rather, they might be better described as self-help book, with advice coming from an accomplished philosophy professor well-versed in literature and religion. While his The Faith of a Heretic had a religious context, Without Guilt and Justice has an ethical one. He begins by describing what he calls decidophobia: the unwillingness of individuals to take responsibility for their lives. Kaufmann also describes the strategies people use to avoid this responsibility. But Kaufmann does not offer any simple-minded alternative: It is the whole thrust of his analysis to show how difficult it is to make fateful decisions in a responsible manner. But the problem with decidophobia is that it leads to an inauthentic life: the decidophobe is far from living in a land of ignorant bliss. In his more philosophical chapters, Kaufmann discredits the notions of retributive and distributive justice. Kaufmann summarizes, The concern with desert looks to the past, but it is more fruitful to consider the future. The rejection of justice allows the individual to disown guilt, an unproductive feeling that mires the individual in the past. Kaufmann then explores what his analysis means for the individual. For someone expecting a purely abstract philosophical discussion of ethics, this is where Kaufmann takes an unexpected turn. Ultimately, for Kaufmann, ethics is not just about living harmoniously with society by applying the golden rule (an overrated precept in Kauffman's opinion)-but rather it should be about what an individual should do with her life in an active way (what some might call self-actualization). For the autonomous individual, the choice is essentially two-fold: the detachment of Nirvana or a creative life. Kaufmann's sympathies lie with creativity (combined with service to humanity), and Kaufmann's most vital points concern the importance of creativity. This is an excellent book, although his The Faith of a Heretic is even better.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHERE WERE YOU WHEN ALL THE BIG QUESTIONS WERE ANSWERED?, February 14, 2000

By 

Les Lee (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Without Guilt and Justice: From Decidophobia to Autonomy (Hardcover)

This remarkable book covers a lot of ground. From a new term coined Decidaphobia (and its' various behavioural strategies), to a broad rejection of justice as the backbone of our moral foundation, leading to the dismissing, of all things, GUILT! Why, you ask, should we eliminate guilt? From Kaufmann himself: "Guilt feelings are a contagious desease that harms those who harbor them and endangers those who live close to them. The liberation from guilt spells the dawn the autonomy." And it is at this point in the book that Kaufmann really takes off about alternatives to decidaphobia, justice, and guilt. I'd rather not give away his complete book in a review however!

Frankly, this stuff should be a first year phylosophy requirement. Really has a good chance to connect with younger readers in the beginning of the book with his discussions of decidophobia (ie, are you wasting your moral life).

Please email me if you've read this review and can give me some feedback!