Understanding with Whole Self: An Attempt of Grounding Ethics in the Hermeneutical Ethics of Physical Action

Abstract

This paper consists of two parts. The first is an introductory one. It says that emerging hermeneutical ethics should follow Nietzsche’s call about “remaining true to the earth.” Several elements of such ethics can also be found in Dilthey’s and Heidegger’s thoughts. Particularly Heidegger’s philosophy, despite its “spiritual” character, is a fulcrum to develop hermeneutical ethics which is involved in human physicality. Pointing to the limits of Heidegger’s “hermeneutical ethics” and exceeding them, in the second part of the paper I try to show a relation between hermeneutics and ethics at the level of a physical action, mainly drawing on Jerzy Grotowski’s anthropology of theatre. Rules developed within it enable the possibility of an authentic action that starts with “physiology” and ends in “spiritual” illumination.