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{I am confident that the following statements are true – or at least more true than false} and would like to know if you concur that these are facts of Ethics:
A good moral decision depends upon the facts of the situation.
‘Morality’ is a personal trait; ‘Ethics’ is the name of the entire discipline. (That is how I define these terms.)
A moral person has authenticity to a large degree.
It is ethical to be considerate of others.
It is ethical to help others without being a martyr.
It is ethical to be helpful, to be of service, to want to cooperate.
It is ethical to foster the well-being of others.
It is ethical to help others rise in the quality of their life.
It is ethical to take on some responsibility and to be accountable for it.
All this will add value to the situation. That, in fact, is what Ethics is about: namely, adding value.
When an individual asks himself: ”How can I add some value to this situation?”, she or he is being creative. So creativity plays a role in Ethics.
Hence Ethics is about creating value in human relationships.
Good human relations are harmonious human relations. They are non-judgmental, morally-speaking; they are merciful and forgiving. They are not selfish, nor self-centered. Yes, we are all self-serving, but to be selfish, or (for a mature adult to be) merely self-centered, is to be unethical.
Ethical conduct makes for good human relations. Ethical conduct results in harmony in human affairs. It tends to result in one being more-likely to have a trouble-free life than if one cheats or ‘cuts corners.’
For all the above reasons, when one behaves ethically one is actually pursuing his self-interest.
— —Stephen Pinker
What say you? Are we on the same page on these matters? What does Ethics mean to you?
Does living ethically have more advantages than disadvantages? Would you, as a result of your philosophical analyses advocate that the people on this planet live ethically?
What can be done to make this more probable?