What is Ethics? - a fresh, new approach

Yes, quite serious.

He was a very mild-mannered, unassuming guy, born in Pennsylvania.

In his lab he showed me the cages containing white pigeons. One of the pigeons he was training to play a piano keyboard.

[ A large application (of the ‘schedules of reinforcement’ Dr. Skinner created) has been made by the designers of slot-machines, which are installed in casinos and game rooms. The schedules of pay-offs get the player to keep putting in cash long after he would have given up pushing the button, would have taken whatever funds he still has, and would have left the casino or mart.]

One gets the impression that to Fred “education” was merely “instruction.”

I admit, though, that I used his positive reinforcement idea to make my four-year-old kid sister a better person. When she did something nice, or behaved like an optimist, I would, at times, soon offer her a tasty dried-apricot. She ate it up ! She beamed a big smile! Today, of all her siblings she considers me her favorite. Later, when she grew up, she went on to become an elementary-school teacher. She thus acquired skills which aided her, once she became a mother, in doing a great job in raising her three kids. Her son, since then, has had three kids of his own. All will make a great contribution; all will bring us closer to living in an Ethical world.

As you know, like a knife can be used to cut a tomato or cut a person, technology - uch as, for instance, Fred Skinner’s systematic models for Psychology - can be misused. It can be used for good; or used for bad purposes. That is why it is so important for everyone to know their Ethics and/or to live ethically, thus setting a good example.

For everyone, though, let’s spread the word that morality is in our best-interest :exclamation: :exclamation:
To learn about its meaning and its structure see Chapter Three of the first selection listed below in the signature: click on THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS.

Then discuss the topic across the dinner table, as well as with everyone you meet. If they agree that “Morality is in our best-interest
then proceed to teach them the implications of that as you now - having read up on it - understand them.

Anthropologists today find and record, in most every culture, examples of compassion, fairness, generosity. and actions that implement the Golden Rule.

Cooperation, normally the ethical way to proceed, is not ethical if it is accompanied by some exploiting of outgroups seen as threats. In the recent past outgroups considered as not worthy of full moral consideration have been homosexuals and those called “strangers.”

Moral Psychologists of late, along with Evolutionary Biologists and Brain Neurologists, speak of we humans as possessing a Moral Sense. This is closely akin to what those Philosophers known as Intuitionists were arguing for back as the early 1600s and forward up to the present day. A particular set of emotions are triggered by our moral sense: compassion, gratitude, loyalty, disgust, shame, and guilt.

I agree with the Socratic view that evil is most always performed out of ignorance, but I would also add, as a source of evil behavior, madness due to brain damage.

Aristotle did describe a condition in which a person may recognize that something is morally right, and may even want to do what is right, but nonetheless is lured away from such by a stronger temptation. He called it “weakness of the will.” Here we get into questions of motivation. R. S. Hartman taught that there are three basic kinds of norms: (S) formal norms: …Some x R y.
(E) facultative norms: …Some people live morally.
(II) obligatory norms. …I will live morally.

Thus an example of an Obligatory Norm might be: “I want to live morally, and I intend to do so!!! I mean it. I mean it intensely. I’ll strive for this; I’m making it my goal.” :exclamation:

Choosing such an Obligatory Norm is a motivating procedure which prepares one for the time when s/he judges something as ‘morally wrong’; it then will trigger a pre-built-in motivational force to avoid that action or situation, keeping one from indulging in it or associating with it.

Your views on this approach to Ethics theory?
Comments? Questions?

Even if we believed that what guides people’s behavior is that they merely want to avoid pain and displeasure, and attain pleasure, satisfaction and gratification, we would still benefit from knowing how to perceive when people are being ethical and when they are being unethical; and knowing the positive gains that comes to one when he or she is ethical.

To learn this valuable knowledge, see the listings in the signature below, especially the first one, THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS.

Also, it would help if someone who tosses out words such as: pleasure, satisfaction and gratification, would defined those words telling us how they differ from one another, and how they are the same.

The question of “why should I be moral? Which is clarified in the works cited below – to which links are offered in the signature –is a question that should be discussed at every dinner table. The efficacy of the argument would be based on some “one-liners” that can be remembered easily by the public.

Ask people you meet: Isn’t it true that morality is in our best-interest? (By “morality” is meant: becoming the best that a human being can be and become; a person being true to himself or herself; living by principle, having standards.)
If you agree, then the question arises: What are we doing to make this a more moral society?

Perhaps, as a philosopher once suggested, all that it would take for human fulfillment is to harmonize that which is already naturally good.
That itself is a topic for air-time, and for dinner-time, conversation.

How do you feel about all this?
Can you suggest some good one-liners relevant to Ethics?
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You want a one liner?

Here’s my one liner:

Some of the best ethics discussions in the world are happening on this board and none of them are in your threads.

Hi, Ecmandu

[size=79]Though all my friends would say, “Don’t bother with that boor,”[/size] I believe I may learn something of value, so I have a question for you:

Which threads, and more-specifically, which posts contain these ethics discussions to which you allude; and by which criteria do you judge them “the best” ethics discussions?

If you provide us with criteria backed up by logic and reason I will study these ethics discussions to which you refer us, and thus I may, at last, get educated.

Waiting to hear from you…

Hey everyone:

:question: Did you know :question: that the Ultimate Goal of Ethics, according to Dr. M. C. Katz, is a Quality Life for all.

What is “a Quality Life”?

It is having a good character and having well-being. What is “well-being”?

It’s a life rich in meaning, one full of ‘mountain-top’ experiences and warm memories. It is quality time with those we love. It includes leisure to pursue our hobbies and freely-chosen projects. It’s getting into ‘the flow’, having some accomplishment to your credit, attaining some happiness.

A more-detailed explanation of the concept “well-being,” as understood by Dr. Martin Seligman, is given THE STRUCTURE booklet. Here is a link to it:
myqol.com/wadeharvey/PDFs/TH … ETHICS.pdf

Dr. Katz tells us that Ethics entails creating value in human relationships.

What do you think? I’d like to hear your views.

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.Do you believe the ethical theory proposed in this thread is better than previous ethical theories?

And if not, why not?

:bulb: As you know, it has an answer for the issue of gun safety. It indicates we go in the direction of nonviolence. Thus it has a response to the issue of waging war. It indicates we conscientiously object to participating in such. It defines “war” as “organized mass murder in the name of a fine and noble cause,” causes such as “for Democracy,” or “to end terrorism,” etc. It holds that we arrange to live in a world without war.

It also has a response to the issue of abortion. It says that nowadays, and into the future, due to advanced methods of birth control, and due also to the realism of virtual reality devoted to porn, abortion is becoming increasingly unnecessary - and therefore no longer an issue.
It has implications, as well, for other issues of Applied Ethics.

It argues that automation tends to create more jobs; and it enourages society both to retrain people at no cost to the job-seeker (getting a small stipend while being retrained) for higher-tech work that society currently requires, as well as to recruit people for jobs that are urgently needed, such as teaching and nursing.

Also the book on THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS quotes Peter Singer on a resolution to some other moral dilemmas that he well-argued for in his book, HOW ARE WE TO LIVE? The book also has as chapter on Business Ethics, and lists Best places to work, and why they are.

So what is your opinion? Is this theory better than alternative ethical theories :question:

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Your making it SO complicated that it’s not even an ethics theory.

Let’s simplify cosmic ethics:

No being wants their consent violated without it being their own terms.

There are not many ways to accomplish this.

-Philosophic zombie universes
-Marionette universes

  • hallucinating reality from eternal forms
  • hyper dimensional mirror realities

Everything else is a consent violating formulation.

Thus… ultimately anti ethical

Now, there are ways to be relatively ethical absent these solutions, but not and never absolute

According to Webster’s II Dictionary, a definition of “ethics” is this: “a system of moral values that guides conduct.” A system of ethics deals with questions such as “What is the opposite of being ethical?” “How shall I live?” “What is a good life?” “Do I have any obligations?”

Readers, as you look at page 2, The Table of Contents of the booklet, THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS, does that seem complicated to you?
[See the first link below.]

To cover the requirements of the above definition, wouldn’t some detailed explications and explorations be a necessity - in order to fulfill the description and exposition of the concept. The booklet proceeds by deconstructing and then reconstructing a couple of key terms, namely, “ethics,” and “morality.”

Some disruption occurs …to use a term from business.

A new paradigm is revolutionary and usually always meets with strong criticism from those who suffer from “future shock.” The introduction of a new system is highly controversial. I’m confident you can supply examples.

What I was trying to say, and apologies for being rude. If you can’t explain it to a 5 year old in the span of perhaps even a paragraph or less, it’s not going to be useful for humans.

Greetings, Ecmandu

Apology accepted! :sunglasses:

Yes, I can go along with what you were trying to say … though it does reveal your current view of humans.

It’s a good suggestion! :slight_smile:
Let’s ask everyone here: How would you explain Ethics to a 5-year-old in the span of a paragraph or two?

Any ideas :question:

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Children as young as four can begin to see things from other people’s perspectives. I am not sure I would explain ethics to a five year old - or to anyone for that matter - but I would work in questions related to how other people might feel about X - ‘How do you think Timmy felt when you pushed him off the pier?’ and then statements about my own perspective and then also the five year olds. Role modeling perspective insights and shifts, and also demonstrating my skills (hopefully) at describing the five year olds and how I take that into account in relation to him or her. Ethical rules and guidelines, in a sense, presume we cannot work with empathy and perception, that we have to have rules. I think it actually honors the integrity of the child to enhance the skill set, so to speak, and also to share with and confront them with the inner experiences you have. Rather than coming up with 10 commandments, say, or even much subtler versions.

What you write above sounds less like an ethical theory, but rather predictions that technology will make us get along in various ways or eliminate troubling conflicting goods (as old iambiguous might phrase it). I realize you do have a whole system via links, but I just wanted to point out that those portions of this post are not really ethical positions or systems. I think some of these predictions are not correct, but that’s a different sort of issue from your final question.

I haven’t seen the phrases before with Enhancement, but I think this is more or less a liberal view of ethics. What do you think is unique about his or your views?

It’s certainly true that ethics involves the ability to value something other than oneself, to relate to it in its own terms plus your own terms in that relating. Also that ethics involves “selfishness”. You don’t do things because you’re selfish, you’re selfish because you… do things.

But those are just aspects. Ethics is largely about right and wrong which means true and false. What kind of ice cream you like isn’t an ethical question. If your issue can be boiled down to an “opinion” then it’s not an ethical issue. Ethics comes from reason, which is the ability to and desire to engage this thing called reality.

Given that there are no new ideas under the Sun, I suggest that you read the book - the first one mentioned in the links below in the signature, and then judge for yourself whether there is anything “unique.”

I would venture that the way I define the concept “morality” is rather unique, but I may be wrong.

If you feel like summarizing what you consider unique, I can read that and respond to that. I like reading physical books, where I turn the pages. What’s unique about how you define the concept morality?

The chapter on morality is 17 pages in length for good reason.

To summarize it would not do it justice.

You have permission though to republiish it as a hardcover book; then you will be able to turn the pages. :bulb: { KT: Why not print it out, staple the pages, or bind them in some fashion, and then flip pages.}

The explanation entails being true to yourself, appreciating the various moral principles - of which I give a specific list - committing oneself to living up to those principles, and doing so, more and more, through the years (and with more of the principles): growing and developing morally, thus becoming more morally-healthy.

Hence kindness alone is not enough.

readers: Your views, and your reviews of the essay titled THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS, are welcomed! [Click on first link below to learn about this new paradigm, and to judge its merit.]

For those who never got around to reading THE BREAKTHROUGH, here is a passage from that paper:

“Morality" to the Ethicist is a technical term which connotes authenticity as well as the opposite of hypocrisy and phoniness’. It denotes that you practice what you preach: your observable self corresponds to your ideal self-image. As you gain in ethical insight your behavior (conduct) corresponds to your continuously-improving self-identity.

As a result of understanding the moral sense, we may conclude that everyone is to be regarded as if they are of limitless value! Try to imagine what implications follow from that understanding. One such deduction is to do no harm.

Furthermore, if one holds a moral perspective, one will strive to have good manners, and to be courteous. One will avoid using words that hurt. Instead we will use words that heal, words that serve to boost people up. When we enter a room people will feel like a plant that has just been watered.

Your response? Comments? Questions?

Karpal T: Did I reply to your question adequately?