Hans Jonas here rethinks the foundations of ethics in light of the awesome transformations wrought by modern technology: the threat of nuclear war, ecological ravage, genetic engineering, and the like. Though informed by a deep reverence for human life, Jonas's ethics is grounded not in religion but in metaphysics, in a secular doctrine that makes explicit man's duties toward himself, his posterity, and the environment. Jonas offers an assessment of practical goals under present circumstances, ending with a critique of modern utopianism.

Hans Jonas (1903-1993) was the Alvin Johnson Professor of Philosophy at the New School for Social Research from 1955 to 1976. He was born and educated in Germany where he studied under Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Rudolf Bultmann. He left Germany in 1933 and lived in Palestine and England before coming to North America. He influenced ethical philosophy--especially bioethics--and the study of gnosticism.