Ruwen Ogien was a prominent French philosopher known for his "minimalist" approach to ethics, particularly detailed in works like L'Éthique aujourd'hui : Maximalistes et minimalistes (2007) and La philosophie morale (2004). His work challenges traditional moral frameworks by arguing for a sharp distinction between duties to oneself and duties to others.
Ogien’s minimalism is deeply rooted in the liberal tradition of state neutrality. He argues that in a pluralistic society, it is impossible to reach a universal consensus on what constitutes a "good life." Therefore, the state and moral philosophy should not promote any specific conception of the good. Download Ruwen Ogien philosophie morale epub
between Ogien and other liberal thinkers like John Stuart Mill. Ruwen Ogien was a prominent French philosopher known
If you are looking for specific books to support your research, I can help you find: He argues that in a pluralistic society, it
of L'Influence de l'odeur des croissants chauds sur la bonté humaine .
Ogien argues that the concept of a "duty to oneself" is a logical contradiction. A duty implies a relationship between two parties: one who owes and one who is owed. If the debtor and the creditor are the same person, the obligation becomes meaningless, as the individual can always grant themselves a "pardon" or exemption. By removing duties to oneself from the moral equation, Ogien liberates the private sphere from moral judgment, leaving it instead to the realm of personal preference and aesthetics. Neutrality and Pluralism