|
1.5 Existence of Goodness: EthicsVersion 1.2 June 2017                                  (Previous Version) These are the questions we ask in the introduction (Section 0.1.6 – paragraph 5): Why be good? Does goodness come from god? How can we be good without god? If there is no god, does anything go? What is goodness anyway? Is it better to do one’s duty and hang the consequences? Can we ignore what’s happening in the world and still be virtuous? Or is it better to just work towards the best outcomes, and ignore the rules if they get in the way? Is it all relative? Is it just survival of the fittest? Does the end justify the means? The next big question is: Why be good? This Chapter covers the choices we make in regards to what is normally called ethics. We begin with a discussion of what goodness is, and possible sources of goodness – God(s) or our evolved altruism. Then we distinguish between different aspects of goodness. Many philosophers consider that ethics is about one topic: what is “the good”. Our duty is to do good. We are virtuous if we do good. Defining what is good may help us solve other ethical issues. This treats “the good” as a thing, whereas, in the introduction we emphasize that our choices reflect our values, focusing on actions or events, not things. And there are several core choices we need to make in ethics: just trying to be “good” isn't enough. In Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita tells us we should do our duty. Jesus emphasized love, of God and our neighbor. The philosopher Kant thought he deduced a single ethical principle from pure reason. Unfortunately life is more complicated. We plan to look at how we know what we know about ethics under the following topic headings:
This is the current summary of our conclusions in this area: Goodness comes from within, when we choose, despite the dilemmas, to follow our natural compassion, sense of duty, or enlightened self-interest; we accept personal responsibility in ourselves and others, and join with society to establish a system of justice tempered by mercy, based on the practical outcomes. Â more (later)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Statement 5
Members can tell us (publicly) what they think of this page. How can we improve it? Enter your comments.
* * * * * * *
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
English (English)
We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of Country, throughout all colonised lands, and their connections to land, waters and community. We pay respect by giving voice to truth, values and social justice, acknowledging our shared history, and valuing the cultures of first nations peoples.
Copyright © 2008 - 2026 Trevor J Rogers, care of the address shown on this page. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission from the copyright owner. Any approved reproduction is permitted only with full attribution of the source, referring to this site and this copyright notice. The moral right of the author is asserted.
Top