Dear Reader,

Let’s talk about ethics.

What is Ethics?

This philosophical discipline discusses the fundamental questions regarding human values. What the nature of morality is and what the principles that guide us could be. But first, what is morality? Frankly, that is a question that the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Definition of Morality) does a decent job of answering.

For the sake of this discussion, I will use morality descriptively to refer to certain codes of conduct put forward by a society or a group (such as a religion).

Morals are provided to us by the social groups we interact with throughout our entire lives. Families, friends, social groups (work, school) all helped shape us and provide morals which impact what we perceive to be right and wrong. Ethics touches on this and so much more by diving into how or why morals come to be, and what are the driving forces behind this.

My Two Cents…

This topic is pretty interesting to me… I will start with a high-level view of the applicability of ethics as I see it and narrow it down.

Geopolitically, this has implications as it essentially highlights that different societies will not have the same moral compass. We are able to group huge areas geographically which all have similar high-level moral codes which apply to them (I believe the study of this is “Macroethics?”).

One of the reasons Europe and the United States, the West, seems to more or less get along (recently anyway) has to do with similar moral values. The alignment of these values was likely driven by our historical interactions (wars, conquest, etc.) and our shared Judeo-Christian experiences (credit to Constantine). These shared morals do not always align with other areas or regions (i.e., The East) as they have their own unique historical interactions and religious experiences. This continental view can be narrowed to specific countries with different moral values existing within it (e.g., the wars of religion in France). This can be further narrowed to households sitting side by side where one group of people may have different morals than their neighbors next door. But what trends exist when you view ethics in this light?

I believe, we tend to hold similar moral values as those near us however we exercise and practice these values differently. Some people focus on character and virtue, others on duty and rules, while others still make moral choices based on consequence alone.

I tend to blend virtue ethics and deontology together while going about my life. These to me go hand in hand. You must exhibit certain character traits to be a good person. The Unites States Army simplified this for me with their values (LDRSHIP) which I absorbed with an open mind. To embody these values I had to adopt and follow rules:

• Loyalty – Take care of your team members and subordinates.
• Duty – Fulfill your obligations and commitments.
• Respect – See the value in yourself and in others.
• Selfless Service – Determine first how your actions can impact others around you before considering yourself.
• Honor – Embody the other values (duty, respect, personal courage, etc.) in everyday life.
• Integrity – Do the right thing, even when nobody is looking.
• Personal Courage – Face fear, danger, and/or adversity, both physical and moral, with a strong back and a level head.

This has worked for me by providing a moral structure/framework in my adult life to try and adhere to. As we expand beyond our social groups we will find other people who may have different moral values. History shows us that this can lead to disagreements, fights, and even war. Sometimes, we may seem incompatible given our differences in what we find as just or good. I believe if we focus on ourselves, our personal growth and development, and how we interact with others in the world, we will equip ourselves to be respectful, open and resilient. This is unlikely to solve meaningful problems given societal and religious differences. That being said, this approach to morals and ethics will build strong local communities and will have a cascading affect in our personal lives. Who knows, if enough of us are able to have a small local impact, collectively we could shift mountains.

The new Epistemology page has been added to StoicBlog.org – Philosophical Disciplines – Ethics!

Thank you so much for you time and patience and I look forward to learning and growing with you!

If you’re interested in learning a little more about philosophy and Ethics in particular, a resource I have found beneficial is the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Hyperlinked is a search on Ethics where they have over 1,200 documents available.

Please leave a comment, and let me know what you think. Let me know how I can improve my website, writing, share topics of interest with me, etc. I would love to hear from you!