Toward the immanent sense of morality

Abstract

We explore the idea of morality using the analysis of contradictions or the aporia formulated by Jacques Derrida in his project of deconstruction. The concentration on this aporia gives final rigor to the analysis of morality. We use Deleuze's methods to bypass the contradictions formulated by Derrida, such a method allows us not to deny the aporia itself, but to rethink it as positive knowledge. The problem, or aporia, shown by Derrida is that we cannot describe a moral act as a rational act. Firstly, because an act will not be moral if it is committed for the purpose of any benefit, including personal moral perfection. Secondly, because we can imagine a situation where a moral act has successfully achieved its goals, the moral ideal seems fundamentally unattainable. Discussing on this aporia of morality follows us to think morality immanently, that means to consider a value of a moral act based on very content of the act, but not any external benefits. In this sense, morality should be understood as an opportunity to “act out of duty”, that is, to go beyond the limits of actual interests, laws and rules. In this sense, a moral act is an event of transition from one state of social ties to another. Moreover, this is such a transition that implies the absence of the need to choose one or another state — a new social connection is not determined nor by obligations or benefits. To be moral is to appreciate such a transition to the unknown new, to new relationships, to believe in the value of these new relationships.