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Thaddeus Metz

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Thaddeus Metz
Born1968 (age 57–58)
OccupationPhilosopher
Academic background
Alma materCornell University
Academic work
DisciplinePhilosophy
Sub-discipline
The meaning of life; ethics; political philosophy; philosophy of law; African philosophy; non-Western philosophy
InstitutionsUniversity of Pretoria

Thaddeus Metz (born 1968) is an American philosopher, academic and author who has lectured at mainly South African universities. He currently teaches at the University of Pretoria.

Education and career

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Metz earned a PhD from the Sage School of Philosophy at Cornell University in 1997.[1] In 2015, Metz was appointed to the position of Distinguished Professor at the University of Johannesburg, a position he held until 2019. This was followed by a position as Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria[2] in 2020.

Metz has supervised doctoral students from many different countries,[3] including Mpho Tshivhase, the first African woman from South Africa to get a PhD in philosophy,[4][5] and Doreen Sesiro, the first African woman from Botswana to do so.[6]

Philosophical work

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Much of his work 'takes an analytic approach to African morality, the meaning of life, the nature of mental health, the point of a university, the role of a legal system, and a range of other topics in value theory and moral-political philosophy'.[7] In particular, he (alongside Susan R. Wolf) is often credited for having helped develop life's meaning as a distinct field in Anglo-American philosophy.[8] In recognition of having brought African philosophical ideas to global audiences of scholars, Metz was once designated one of ‘The World’s Top 50 Thinkers’ by Prospect Magazine.[9]

Bibliography

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Books

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  • What Makes Life Meaningful? A Debate, with Joshua Seachris (London: Routledge, 2024). ISBN 9781032566153
  • A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics in and Beyond the Continent (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022). ISBN 9780198748960
  • God,Soul and the Meaning of Life (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019). ISBN 9781108661652
  • Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013). ISBN 9780191747632

Articles

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  • Metz, Thaddeus (2012). An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism. Ethical Theory and Moral Practice 15 (3): 387-402.[10]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2011). The Good, the True and the Beautiful: Toward a Unified Account of Great Meaning in Life. Religious Studies: An International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion 47 (4): 389-409.[11]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2011). Ubuntu as a Moral Theory and Human Rights in South Africa. African Human Rights Law Journal 11 (2):532-559. [12]
  • Metz, Thaddeus and Gaie, Joseph (2010). The African Ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: Implications for Research on Morality. Journal of Moral Education 39 (3): 273-290.[13]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2007). Toward an African Moral Theory. Journal of Political Philosophy 15 (3):321-341.[14]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2002). Recent Work on the Meaning of Life. Ethics 112 (4):781-814.[15]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2001). The Concept of a  Meaningful Life. American Philosophical Quarterly 38 (2): 137-153.[16]
  • Metz, Thaddeus (2001). Respect for Persons and Perfectionist Politics. Philosophy and Public Affairs 30 (4): 417-442.[17]

Secondary literature

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Special journal issues and books devoted to Metz's research include:

  • Kirk Lougheed (ed.) 'Thaddeus Metz's A Relational Moral Theory’, Social Theory and Practice 51 (2025).[18]
  • Olatunji Oyeshile (ed.) 'On an African Moral Theory', African Philosophical Inquiry 11 (2023).[19]
  • Paul Slama and Carien Smith (eds) 'Meanings of Gods. Questions to Thaddeus Metz', International Journal of Philosophy and Theology 82 (2021).[20]
  • Yujin Nagasawa (ed.) 'Book Symposium: Thaddeus Metz's Meaning in Life', European Journal for Philosophy of Religion 8 (2016).[21]
  • Masahiro Morioka (ed.) Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz (Saitama, Japan: Waseda University, 2015).[22]

Honours

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  • Metz has been awarded an ‘A’ rating for the quality and impact of his research four times by the South African National Research Foundation.[23]
  • Metz was elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Thaddeus Metz". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Prof. Thaddeus Metz | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  3. ↑ "Prof. Thaddeus Metz | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2025-12-31.
  4. ↑ Reporter, Sun. "MZANSI'S FIRST BLACK WOMAN DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY!". Daily Sun. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  5. ↑ original, "amongst other remarks from the examiners were that Dr Tshivhase's Doctorate is 'consistently; interesting; insightful'; Brilliant'.", 'Absolutely. "Meet the first African woman from South Africa to earn a PhD in Philosophy". University of Johannesburg News. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  6. ↑ "#UPGraduation2023: UP student becomes the first African woman from Botswana to get a PhD in philosophy | University of Pretoria". www.up.ac.za. Retrieved 2024-09-05.
  7. ↑ "2020/21 Human Sciences Research Council - Universities South Africa" (PDF).
  8. ↑ "Thaddeus Metz". Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  9. ↑ "The world's top 50 thinkers 2020". Prospect.
  10. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus (2012-06-01). "An African Theory of Moral Status: A Relational Alternative to Individualism and Holism". Ethical Theory and Moral Practice. 15 (3): 387–402. doi:10.1007/s10677-011-9302-y. ISSN 1572-8447.
  11. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus. "The good, the true, and the beautiful: toward a unified account of great meaning in life". Religious Studies. 47 (4): 389–409. doi:10.1017/S0034412510000569. ISSN 1469-901X.
  12. ↑ "Ubuntu as a moral theory and human rights in South Africa" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-09-10.
  13. ↑ Metz, T & Gaie, J (2010). "The African ethic of Ubuntu/Botho: implications for research on morality". Journal of Moral Education. 39 (3): 273–290.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus (2007). "Toward an African Moral Theory". Journal of Political Philosophy. 15 (3): 321–341. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9760.2007.00280.x. ISSN 1467-9760.
  15. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus. "Recent Work on the Meaning of Life". Ethics. 112 (4): 781–814. doi:10.1086/340462. ISSN 0014-1704.
  16. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus (2001). "The Concept of a Meaningful Life". American Philosophical Quarterly. 38 (2): 137–153. ISSN 0003-0481.
  17. ↑ Metz, Thaddeus (2001). "Respect for Persons and Perfectionist Politics". Philosophy & Public Affairs. 30 (4): 417–442. doi:10.1111/j.1088-4963.2001.00417.x. ISSN 1088-4963.
  18. ↑ Lougheed, Kirk (2025). "Introduction to the Special Issue on Thaddeus Metz's A Relational Moral Theory: African Ethics In and Beyond the Continent". Social Theory and Practice. 51 (2).
  19. ↑ "African Philosophical Inquiry, Vol. 11, 2023" (PDF). African Philosophical Inquiry. 2023.
  20. ↑ Smith, Carien; Slama, Paul (2021-10-20). "Introduction: meanings of gods". International Journal of Philosophy and Theology. doi:10.1080/21692327.2021.2020150. ISSN 2169-2327.
  21. ↑ "Vol. 8 No. 2 (2016): Book Symposium: Thaddeus Metz's Meaning in Life: An Analytic Study". European Journal for Philosophy of Religion. 8 (2). 2016-06-21. doi:10.24204/ejpr.v8i2. ISSN 1689-8311.
  22. ↑ "Reconsidering Meaning in Life: A Philosophical Dialogue with Thaddeus Metz" (PDF). Journal of Philosophy of Life.
  23. ↑ "Professor Thaddeus Metz". National Research Foundation.
  24. ↑ "Members – ASSAf". Retrieved 2024-09-05.
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