Moral saints and eudaimonia: A philosophical justification of moral sainthood

Leonard Sidharta, Purdue University

Abstract

In this dissertation, I try to philosophically justify moral sainthood. People like Gandhi, Albert Schweitzer, and Mother Teresa are seen as the paradigm moral saints. However, there is a widespread assumption that due to their radical altruism, moral saints are not flourishing. So some critics think that moral sainthood is unworthy of recommendation. By contrast, I argue that attaining moral sainthood is binding and, through critically engaging relevant empirical studies, I conclude that moral saints are flourishing. However, the whole argument is premised upon the fact that moral sainthood is primarily a religious phenomenon.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Kain, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Religion|Philosophy|Ethics|Philosophy

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