Abstract

The problem of the moral self is a perennial one: Do our actions determine who we are as moral persons? Or does our moral character determine which actions we will take? These questions have shaped in the past, and continue to shape in the present, philosophical debate about human moral identity. While not a philosopher, the book of Ezekiel offers significant reflection on these issues. ;A tension exists in Ezekiel's anthropology: Two apparently contradictory ways of thinking about human beings find articulation in the book. On the one hand, they appear capable of being oriented to the good , and on the other hand, they appear incapable of orienting themselves and their actions to this good. Out of the conflict between these competing views Ezekiel fashions a third type of moral self that finds its origin in God , and whose form is knowledge . Thus a shift is perceptible in Ezekiel, away from an anthropocentric and action-centered view of the moral self, and toward a view that is theocentric and knowledge-centered. ;The knowledge that takes on primary significance in the form of the new moral self is of two types: both knowledge of God and knowledge of self are crucial in Ezekiel's vision of a new human moral identity. Ezekiel's presentation of the prophetic call, the recognition formula, and the language of memory testify to the importance of the knowledge of God. Self-knowledge, on the other hand, is expressed primarily by the language of memory and of shame. ;The tension in Ezekiel's anthropology may be seen as a reflection of a profound crisis in Ezekiel's view of the moral self. Ultimately for him, the self is given its identity first, and the knowledge of that identity enables right action to follow. In other words, action for Ezekiel discloses one's identity instead of determining that identity