Thaddeus Metz is an American philosopher, academic and author who has lectured at mainly South African universities. He currently teaches at the University of Pretoria.
Thaddeus Metz | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Philosopher |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Cornell University |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Philosophy |
| Sub-discipline | The meaning of life; ethics; political philosophy; philosophy of law; African philosophy; non-Western philosophy |
| Institutions | University of Pretoria |
Education and Career
editMetz earned a PhD from the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University in 1997.[1] In 2015, Metz was appointed to the position of Distinguished Professor at the University of Johannesburg, a position he held until 2019. This was followed by a position as Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria[2] in 2020.
Metz has supervised doctoral students from many different countries,[3] including Mpho Tshivhase the first African woman from South Africa to get a PhD in philosophy[4][5] and Doreen Sesiro the first African woman from Botswana to do so.[6]
Philosophical Work
editMuch of his work 'takes an analytic approach to African morality, the meaning of life, the nature of mental health, the point of a university, the role of a legal system, and a range of other topics in value theory and moral-political philosophy'.[7] In particular, he (alongside Susan R. Wolf) is often credited for having helped develop life's meaning as a distinct field in Anglo-American philosophy.[8]
Bibliography
editBooks
edit- What Makes Life Meaningful? A Debate, with Joshua Seachris (London: Routledge, 2024). ISBN 9781032566153
- A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics in and Beyond the Continent (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022). ISBN 9780198748960
- God,Soul and the Meaning of Life (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019). ISBN 9781108661652
- Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013). ISBN 9780191747632
Articles
edit- Metz, Thaddeus (2012). An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 15 (3): 387-402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10677-011-9302-y
- Metz, Thaddeus (2011). The Good, the True and the Beautiful: Toward a Unified Account of Great Meaning in Life. Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion 47 (4): 389-409. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0034412510000569
- Metz, Thaddeus (2011). Ubuntu as a Moral Theory and Human Rights in South Africa. African Human Rights Law Journal 11 (2):532-559. [9]
- Metz, Thaddeus (2007). Toward an African moral theory. Journal of Political Philosophy 15 (3):321–341. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00280.x
- Metz, Thaddeus (2002). Recent Work on the Meaning of Life. Ethics 112 (4):781-814. https://doi.org/10.1086/340462
- Metz, Thaddeus (2001). The Concept of a Meaningful Life. American Philosophical Quarterly 38 (2): 137-153. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20010030
- Metz, Thaddeus (2001). Respect for Persons and Perfectionist Politics. Philosophy and Public Affairs 30 (4): 417-442. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1088-4963.2001.00417.x
Secondary Literature
editSpecial journal issues and books devoted to Metz's research include:
- Olatunji Oyeshile (ed.) 'On an African Moral Theory', African Philosophical Inquiry 11 (2023).[10]
- Paul Slama and Carien Smith (eds) 'Meanings of Gods. Questions to Thaddeus Metz', International Journal of Philosophy and Theology 82 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1080/21692327.2021.2020150
- Yujin Nagasawa (ed.) 'Book Symposium: Thaddeus Metz's Meaning in Life', European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 8 (2016). https://doi.org/10.24204/ejpr.v8i2
- Masahiro Morioka (ed.) Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz (Saitama, Japan: Waseda University, 2015).[11]
Honours
editMetz was elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Thaddeus Metz". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Prof. Thaddeus Metz | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "Prof. Thaddeus Metz | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ Reporter, Sun. "MZANSI'S FIRST BLACK WOMAN DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY!". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ original, "amongst other remarks from the examiners were that Dr Tshivhase's Doctorate is 'consistently; interesting; insightful'; Brilliant'.", 'Absolutely. "Meet the first African woman from South Africa to earn a PhD in Philosophy". University of Johannesburg News. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "#UPGraduation2023: UP student becomes the first African woman from Botswana to get a PhD in philosophy | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
- ^ "2020/21 Human Sciences Research Council - Universities South Africa" (PDF).
- ^ "Thaddeus Metz". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ https://scielo.org.za/pdf/ahrlj/v11n2/11.pdf
- ^ "African Philosophical Inquiry, Vol. 11, 2023" (PDF). African Philosophical Inquiry. 2023.
- ^ "Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz" (PDF). Journal of Philosophy of Life.
- ^ "Members – ASSAf". Retrieved 2024-09-05.