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In this chapter, it is argued that both the philosophical and complexity positions that are drawn on in this work necessitate an ethics of living, understood in terms of ethical praxis. In the traditional understanding of moral theory, the theorist seeks to defend a priori moral obligations (deontology) or formulate a moral purpose (teleology), both of which can be translated into specific principles and rules. If however one accepts complexity (including moral complexity), then it stands to reason that meaning (including moral meaning) cannot be fixed in advance. As a result, morality (which is traditionally understood in terms of a normative system dictating right action) is reinscribed as praxis, wherein decisions and actions are not measured against predefined norms, but come to constitute the very subjects that undertake them. The exact nature and significance of ethical praxis however varies according to the position studied. In this chapter, two views on praxis are presented, namely Derrida's experiential praxis and Nancy's praxis defined as an engagement in, and with, originary ethics. Whereas Derrida's praxis gives rise to an ethics of alterity, Nancy's praxis translates as the duty to make sense or the duty to respect existence. The practical implications that their insights hold for understanding, and practising, the ethics of living are also explored.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-39047-5_6

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