Inward? — or Upward and Outward? The Problem of Self-Primacy

Abstract

This article critically examines the modern prioritization of self-interest and autonomy. Through dialogue with philosophers and theologians, it explores the tension between self-driven interpretation and the call to love God and neighbor, contending that authentic Christian autonomy is realized not in self-primacy, but in humble, ethical relationship with God and others—a vision that points beyond the culture of death toward a more life-affirming existence. The article then briefly engages the perspective of certain philosophers and theologians who have had influence upon various elements of the discussion: Martin Heidegger, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Johann Georg Hamann, and Emmanuel Levinas.