Ethics and addiction

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Authors
O'Rourke, Philip
Issue Date
2008
Degree
MA in Addiction Studies
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights
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Abstract
This thesis is about ethics and addiction. It proposes that Addicts are captives and captivated by their addiction: it proposes that this captivity may be a captivity of ontology, a capacity to the theories and ethics that flow from this ontology. On the surface ontology appears to offer freedom, autonomy and self-determination, control and domination. Yet, on closer examination what passes for freedom may in fact be simply delusion - a non-freedom. This thesis will propose a different view of ethics whereby the addict may surrender his or her preciously held image of freedom in exchange for the weight of limitless responsibility.