Pursuit Of Jewish Social And Ethical Thought

Philip Roth poses questions about ethnic identity, postmodernism, the Holocaust, sexuality, the human psyche and things alike. His work---Human Stain (2001) is a book that is greatly concerned with humanity. Human Stain questions about humanity through depictions of characters with unexpected lives. Philip Roth attempts to describe how life is beyond the scope of our imagination, our hope and our control, which reflects his moral pursuit of final good.By focusing on Human Stain, this thesis is devoted to revealing Philip Roth's ethical thoughts in the novel. Philip Roth invites us to take part in his ethical journey from stain to innocence, to genuine knowledge, to virtue, and to final good. From the view of ethical literary criticism, we will have opportunities to recognize the literary and ethical value of the novel. The whole thesis is divided into five chapters. The first chapter is the introduction part. The second chapter interprets Philip Roth's ethical pursuit of harmony in terms of harmonious relationships among people and harmonious state of minds of people. The third chapter analyzes Philip Roth's ethical pursuit of fairness by exploring fair rights and fair opportunities. The fourth chapter deals with ways and goals of integration, and attempts to achieve the ethical pursuit of common good which is the final and ideal aim of ethics. The last chapter readdresses the aim and the meaning of analyzing the Human Stain in terms of harmony, fairness and integration, and concludes that the final good not only exists in Jews'mind but also in all mankinds'.