Ethical formalism in Saramago

Abstract

Within the postmodern social community, we can appreciate a kind of diplomacy that leads us to show behaviors that in many cases respond to forms of behavior, based on appearances or forms of conduct that lead us to superficiality, which denotes a certain form of behavior far beyond what is thought. outside the conditions of humanity.
When dealing with the world of appearances, the first thing that is glimpsed is superficiality in human relationships, with which we address the issue of ethical formalism, a theory that specifically counts or delves into the attachment and fulfillment of universal moral norms and duties. It is important to demonstrate how the issue in question is the subject or one of the most specific subjects of philosophy and literature.
This perspective, which emphasizes the importance of the intentions behind actions rather than their consequences, finds its greatest expression in the ideas of Immanuel Kant. In the literary context, ethical formalism becomes a resource to explore the moral dilemmas that characters face, as well as the social structures that condition their decisions.
José Saramago, Portuguese author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1998, is renowned for his provocative narrative that challenges conventional norms of morality. Throughout his work, Saramago addresses complex ethical issues, questioning not only ethical formalism, but also the social realities that influence individual morality. This article seeks to explore how Saramago's works both reflect and critique ethical formalism, highlighting themes such as moral responsibility, the alienation of the individual, and the search for meaning in a chaotic world.