Hardcore Ethics

A NEW THEORY OF ETHICS IS PROPOSED

The new theory of ethics proposed in the References below, is a theory which is based on viewing others as so valuable as to be worth our giving them some respect and/or doing something kind for them, etc.; and having enough self-respect as to be a responsible individual ready to be accountable for how your carried out your responsibility. The “etc.” and the details entailed, are outlined in The Structure of Ethics booklet referenced below, where a link to a pdf document that one may download, free of charge, is given.

This ethical theory proposed, for your consideration, is known as the Unified Theory of Ethics because it aims to be a synthesis of all the best concepts from other existing theories, and because it offers a framework in which to fit in new discoveries, new facts, new data relevant to the field of study and research.

This new data may come from such disciplines as Brain Neurology, Cultural Anthropology, Game Theory, Cybernetics, or Behavioral Economics.
Do you believe that human life is valuable?
Do you think that morality could stem from an individual having a good character?

Are you familiar with this new (yet very old) theory, and if so, how would you review it?

We invite your response. questions, and critiques.

ANOTHER BENEFIT OBTAINED BY STUDYING ETHICS

Studying Ethics would encourage you to attend to your self-interest provided, though, that it is an Enlightened Self-interest! Be aware that if :

  1. either you can think of ways to accomplish any or all of the following three goals
  2. and/or if you will do what you can to contribute to making one of these happen –

then you will, as a result, live in a world where your life is an easier and more comfortable one. You will live in what I call “a more-ethical world.’ And this will surely enhance your self-interest. Here are three examples:

  1. Reducing poverty to its barest minimum; or
  2. creating a new and better way to distil ocean water; or
  3. inventing a new, and efficient, way to pull carbon out of the atmosphere.

The probabilities are high that someone – pursuing their hobby – will invent or discover something that, sooner or later, makes your life more comfortable – or gives you more pleasure.

It is good when one understands that accomplishing a noble goal – [such as one of the above examples], or somehow encouraging such developments – will help one live in a more-ethical world. This consciousness – this awareness – is known as Enlightened Self-interest.

Such enlightenment is displayed when you ask yourself, as you encounter other human individuals, “How can I create value, so that everyone wins?”
“What can I say or do so that I create the maximum value for all concerned?”
Isn’t it the case that Enlightened Self-interest is superior to – has more value for us – than does mere self-centered concern? [The latter is what is usually meant by the use of the phrase “self-interest.”]

Hence, let’s wise up and be unselfish. Let’s consider others. Let’s be considerate. Let’s not disparage other people. And be kind whenever possible.

…And it’s always possible.

Your views?

Readers and Forum Participants:

I have some questions that I invite you to answer.

What is more important than getting our priorities straight?

What is more important than contributing toward the aim of providing a quality life for people?

If you could do it for even one individual beyond yourself, wouldn’t that be a contribution?

To learn more about clear priorities, vital priorities, see the top selection listed, entitled THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS. And let’s hear your views on the topics raised therein.

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Many people these days (and it‘s not just confined to the USA) will say, “We live in a state of chaos and confusion.”
The new paradigm for Ethics, this new ethical way of life, will relieve these people of this burden of chaos and confusion. They will see clearly; they will know which values are the best values. Recall that formula I > E > S which you learned when you studied the essay BASIC ETHICS: A systematic approach.

You acquired further background if you read all three pages of this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=195234

How To Make The World Work

A world that works is a world that works for everyone without depriving anyone of their opportunities to rise.

What will it take to arrive at such a world – a world which Dr. M. C. Katz speaks of as ‘an ethical world’?

Will we need to focus on agreement and consensus as to what policies people want, to improve their lives? Do we need to encourage and foster more democracy and transparency?
Do we need to exercise that precious right that we have: the right to vote.
Do we need to arrange that we have more referendum questions to vote on than we now have?
Do we need to insist that our elected representatives pass legislation to outlaw corruption …make it a crime (punishable by prison time) for an individual to violate the public trust for a personal benefit of money or gifts?

Some people, a minority, are born with some brain damage. Among those are some individuals who will make find contributions to the welfare and advancement of the human species; they will help our evolution; they will make progress.

A minority of those who have a brain defect - a tinier minority - become predators (destructive organisms.) They prey upon others. These predators are the con-artists, the manipulators, the exploiters, the slave-holders, the rapists, the spouse abusers, the dictators and authoritarians. Some are crude and are ready to disparage others. Or, they may be smooth con-artists. Or both, at different moments.
Those individuals who know their Ethics will be less-likely to fall prey to the predators. If we are attuned to goodness we recognize the predators for what they are. We sense something is out of place, is incongruous. We will not take part in a scheme devised by a predator, or by someone who 'puts others down, ’ destroys, despoils, shows disrespect, has cold indifference to the value of human life, etc. We will spot it at an early stage.
Do you agree?

An ethical world is one where the unselfish folks vastly outnumber the selfish ones, and where the unselfish, the un-corrupt, the less hypocritical have the power and the authority - and they prefer democratic and highly-moral ways of proceeding. They show it by their actions, not just their words.

Your views, in response, are most welcome!!

Equally distributed risk and reward.

Thanks for defining “fair” for us.

What I wrote in a previous post is more important than ever. Here is the quote:

Now that the U.S.A. is at war with Iran - and its start (the death of an American-born contractor) resembles the absurdity of the way World War One started - the words in that quote about Predators is more-relevant than when they were first posted.

Those who start, or escalate, wars - when their country has not been invaded, and when every possible diplomatic means to prevent it has not been tried - are Predators.

[size=50]In this case the Predator causes many needless deaths, and painful injuries, and suffering in a quest to become ‘President for Life.’ Someone who ants to be a dictator sees an opportunity. He ignores the Constitution which says that only Congress has the authority to enter us into a war. …thus his breaking one more law - on top of dozens of other illegal moves.
Though would you expect otherwise from a disciple of Roy Kohn?[/size]

The axiological analysis of the concept “justice” revealed that Retribution and Revenge are the lowest form of justice; they are worth close to zero. They reduce civilized people to the level of the Hatfields and the McCoys.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield% … McCoy_feud

Your views?

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--------- George Santayana

…Speaking of history, you may enjoy reading this book by E. J. Watts.
Its title is Mortal Republic. Here is a link to some reviews of it:
amazon.com/Mortal-Republic- … merReviews

It presents the rise and the fall of The Roman Empire, and explains what we can learn from this decline of an empire.

Do you see the parallels as the USA before our eyes sinks to the status of a third-world nation?
Whereas the retaliatory act of Iran has been proportionate, how many here believe that Trump’s counter-vengeance reaction will be proportionate (rather than extreme)?

Is war “the health” of the State?

Do you want to live through World War III ? Or even through another endless war such as The Gulf / Iraq War ?
Did the USA learn from the Vietnam War experience - and how that ended?
Is the leader of the Free World the type of individual who can appreciate that there is more glory in being a hero of Peace than one who wages war and destruction

Your views?

Continuing to explain and elucidate the new paradigm for Ethics: …

[b]An Ethical individual has individuality and lives responsibly and purposefully. She or he respects life, has humility, and balance; balances work-life and leisure.
S/he believes human life is significant, and that no one is superior (or inferior) to anyone else and thus entitled to rule over others nor to manipulate them or exploit them.

He, or she, observes moderation, and neither over-values nor under-values. Such a person will neither over-do nor under-do but will get something worthwhile done!

He and she hates violence and war, and will decline to take part in such activity. [The one exception is if our country has been invaded and all diplomatic means have definitely been tried to no avail.] S/he loves justice and kindness[/b].

Do you want to be an ethical individual?
Would you commit to it, and strive for it? …not just say it, but feel it deeply and mean it!!!

Your comments are most welcome :exclamation:

“just as we have two eyes and two feet, duality is a part of life” - Carlos Santana

Thank you George, Carlos.

With the doc’s permission we’d now like to take a moment to examine some variations on the Carlos Santana secret chord progression.

In a recent post I gave some of the attributes of an ethical individual.

There are a couple more I might mention here:

An Ethical person focuses on what really matters.

An Ethical person has Moral Courage. Your life expands and contracts in proportion to your courage.

Whistle-blowers - who expose what is morally questionable in the setting in which they work, be it government or business - have Moral Courage.
Conscientious objectors also have Moral Courage.
It is a great quality to have.

Hence if you want to be ethical you will focus on what really matters (helping others, being kind, sharing, informing of opportunities that may help others to rise, doing what you can to make the world a better place) rather than just looking out for your own personal benefit. In setting your priorities you will place people above things, and things and stuff above unfounded opinions, or dogma. And you will display Moral Courage, even though it might result in some economic hardship or social shunning or societal disdain. You will bravely face the consequences. You will choose to do what’s right.

Your views?

Do you have a good quality to add to the list?

In effect, recent posts have been discussing: How to be an ethical person. Let us continue describing such an individual.

An ethical person wants to make things better!
[In fact, the Axiom of the foundational theory of the new paradigm for Ethics reads: MAKE THINGS BETTER. For details see the discussion in M> C. Katz - The Structure of Ethics]

What this means in practice is that the ethical individual asks himself:“How can I be a better person? How can I improve?
How can I innovate or upgrade this thing, or this situation? How can I make the world better? How can I be more-efficient in getting something worthwhile done?”

“How can I contribute? How can I make progress toward making the world a better place? A more-ethical world would be a better place; so how can I set a better example of living morally? How can I help others have a higher-quality life – for I know this will benefit me in the long run …as then they, and I, will live in a more stable society. Sustainability is important. How can I help make the environment cleaner? How can I recycle more? How can I encourage the use of clean, green alternatives, when it comes to conservation of energy?”

Lot’s of issues have been raised here upon which to reflect.

Do you have any comments??

The following is a passage from the mini-treatise, THE STRUCTURE OF ETHICS. I’d like to hear your opinions regarding it. Notice that the writer disagrees with the common usage of the concept “self-interest.” Usually it connotes a selfish focus in distinction to taking everyone else’s interest into account as well as one’s own; but he believes that is a misuse. He holds that if we truly knew our self-interest we would be aware that it does include the concerns of others; it does include caring about the quality of their lives as well as our own. Here is the quote:

Your views?
Where do you stand on these matters?

Allow me to explain why a new approach, a new Ethics, is urgently necessary.
i If you are reading this it is safe to assume you are alive. If the question came up, “Do you want to continue living?” under normal circumstances many, if not most, would answer: “Yes, I want to live, and I want to live well.” An empirical survey would find that most normal people want to be healthy, and they want to be content. They would like to have some leisure time to enjoy, and they want to be able to freely pursue a freely-chosen project, a game, a sport, or a hobby. If given a choice, most want harmonious human relationships.

For that Ethics is necessary. It shows how to achieve those goals, how to get ‘into the flow’, how to use one’s capacities, how to express ‘the inner artist.’ It teaches you how to be fully yourself.
You, I, and everyone – we all need Ethics. This means we all need to know our SEIs as well as we know our ABCs. Study the paper Basic Ethics -a link to which is offered in the Signature below - and you will understand what SEI means.

“Science” – according to its root, scientia in Latin – can be taken to mean: a field of study with practical, empirical implications. In this sense, Ethics may be said to be a ‘science,’ since it is designed to be a body of useful information that helps us function better.

As will become rather clear as one delves into the new paradigm further, since the principles of Ethics are in the self-interest of every individual, it would not be rational to ignore them. [

Experience shows that it would be irrational to violate your own self-interest. This is just common sense. At this point a couple of definitions would be helpful. First, the principles of Ethics as a group comprise what we will designate as “the Moral Law.” That is what will in this context be meant by that phrase.
Next, obligation” equals by definition “our duty to follow the Moral Law.” We are obliged to comply with it. Of course people may violate their obligation, and many likely will try to, but just like attempts to violate the Law of Gravity there are consequences. The Law of Gravity is a law of nature; the Moral Law is a set of derived conclusions that are laws of human nature – both sorts of ‘law’ are subject to revision and upgrading as better insight is gained. Physical law has often been modified - or relegated to a subset of the big picture - as new models are employed that better account for the data. The same will happen in Ethics.

Human beings, by nature, are valuing beings: we make value judgments all day long. A value judgment is part cognitive and part feeling. Some emotion is invested in virtually every valuation. Gravity is constantly operative, and just as reliable is the fact that humans are constantly creating values …every time they judge, whether explicitly or tacitly. We differentiate, we assume, we conclude – all forms of value-judgment.

If the ethical question is: “How shall I live?” – and according to Virtue Ethics that is the chief question to ponder - the Ethical answer is for each of us to truthfully be able to say: “ I should be a good person, one who cares about Social Justice, one who seeks to maximize well-being (quality of life) for one and all. I seek moral outcomes. I want to be one who reasons well, who has control of my emotions, and who has found inner peace. Then I will be that kind of person who aims in the Intrinsic direction, and thus ‘gets it right’ most of the time. There is more to it, of course, but it helps if one knows his Ethics, understands the HOV {explained in the essay, BASIC ETHICS.

It is a testable hypothesis that those who form the habit of valuing Intrinsically are likely to design better systems and norms that enable us to do more with less time, energy, and resources; and are likely to engage in effective action. Effective action is action done with the aim of providing a quality life for all concerned. The latter is ‘the ultimate purpose’ of this ethical system. In a future post we shall bring up topics in practical daily life, as well as in social ethics.

Yes, Ethics is catching on !! :sunglasses:

Let’s turn now to social ethics.

Any society that restricts the opportunity for its citizens, or its group members, to get education is unethical. If the society subjugates its citizens it is unethical. If it denies the opportunity for its members to get therapy it is unethical too.

Every society ought to make education, therapy, and opportunity freely available. Every ethical society will. To hamper the right to vote is sufficient cause to label the society that does that as unethical. Social Justice is a part of Justice, in general, and justice is a part of ethics. This is explained and analyzed in the first portion of A Unified Theory of Ethics, which is written in dialog form. Here is a link: http://tinyurl.com/crz6xea

Insist on your right to vote, and to take advantage of that right by actually voting. Civic responsibility is implied. It does teach that if - say, in the everyday situation of going to a webpage such as this one at a forum - you are to have, and keep, your peace of mind, your serenity. Hence, you would not get too excited, would not lose your cool, would enjoy being peaceful.
In sum, I have made several predictions which can be experimentally tested, and replicated. This is good scientific procedure.

An individual ignores science at his peril !!!

Q. A critic may object as follows:
“ No new approach to ethics is necessary unless it describes some “everyday problems and explains how to handle them.”

A. Giving moral principles to live by - no matter what problems come up – doesn’t that have value? Note that Rush Kidder of the Institute for Global Ethics gave many illustrations of the kind you are requesting in his marvelous book, How Good People Make Tough Choices (NY, Simon & Schuster Fireside Books, 1966). [This book, still highly-relevant today, is available via Amazon.]

Q. “Are you proposing that every individual human read and be aware of that extended body of knowledge you linked to? …do you think that an individual in order to live and act in harmony with the ethical and moral principles that should guide us as a society MUST read that in order to be able to make good ethical decisions?”

A. No, it is not necessary that every individual on Earth know the intricacies of the Science of Ethics any more than they need to know the same for the Science of Physics. They do learn how to throw a light switch, and how to run a washing machine, how to dial a phone, how to use a remote control in the physical realm, and they likely will learn how to enjoy the ethical technologies that I see resulting from the new science of Ethics.

The theory need only be learned by students who have a deep interest in the theoretical branch of moral philosophy - in contrast with those who are more interested in Aesthetics or Literary Interpretation. Such students, with a bent for theory, a knowledge of Math or of Logic, and a curiosity about ethics, could likely be the pioneers pf this new field of research. The project is to construct a system that is ready to transition into a real science. Even now, while the field is very young, we already have technologies emerging.

In other posts and threads I have listed some of the many existing ethical technologies, such as, for a few examples: song lyrics - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cEZjSp0ZSQ%20- ;
X-Prizes, - http://www.xprize.org/ ;
the proliferation of coaching and motivation websites on the internet; the Kahn Academy giving free lessons on You Tube, the jury system,
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/busin … R0w11yL4TQthe business-school promise - [/url] ;
the video conference - mobileoffice.about.com/od/confer … -tools.htm - ;
Axiogenics - amindforsuccess.com/?page_id=6009 - ; etc

Here is yet another group of websites worth visiting, as a CBS anchor initiates a TV show titled “Kindness on the Road.” Check out this series !

youtube.com/playlist?list=P … uHzJ1vcIu_

What is your impression of this effort to teach Ethics to little kids?

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:bulb: Thanks to Steve Hartman, in 2020, for suggesting some ideas for improving the scope of scientific Ethics. The first of these is what we shall speak of as AF. The second concept is abbreviated EMP; which stands for Empathy. Let us begin by explaining AF.

Altruistic feeling [or AF for short] is caring about the happiness of another more than your own short-term happiness… When you do this, if when you are kind to someone else you feel that you get more in return than you gave …you get this good feeling; that is AF. If giving away something makes you happier than getting something then you have AF. In this sense, selfless acts often boomerang back to the one who acts kindly. That is how AF is understood in Ethics: in a sense “giving and receiving are the same” for the one who experiences AF.

Empathy, or EMP, is understanding and sharing another person’s feelings. To “walk in their shoes” is a metaphor for imagining their position. If, for example, you encounter a homeless person and you say to yourself, “What if that were me?” then you have EMP. Many a mother says about her child: “Whatever my child feels, I feel. If my child is in pain, I feel pain; if my child experiences joy, then I am joyful :exclamation:” That is EMP. Brain neurologists explain this in terms of ‘mirror neurons.”

If, in a crowded room one person laughs, many others in that room also laugh. If someone yawns, we notice others yawning as well. We see this happening at a young age, even with babies and toddlers: If one of them starts to cry, another will get into a depressed mood also, and their eyes will tear up. This is a common display of EMP. Empathy [or EMP for short] is the imagining, or a capacity to imagine, the thought, feeling, or experience of another without actually having that experience.

Compassion – we learn from Webster’s Dictionary - refers to both an understanding of another’s pain and the desire to somehow mitigate that pain. It entails a strong identification with another creature …whether or not a member of one’s own species.

Do you have any suggestions or ideas on these, or related, topics? :question: Help us out here with your clarifications or similar breakthroughs. Okay?

WHAT COOPERATION, TEAM SPIRIT, AND SOME CREATIVITY CAN DO

You may enjoy listening to this video. Go directly to where, at the bottom of the screen, it reads 0:41/3:59 - it begins with a bass fiddle. [size=85]{That way - if you wish - you skip the players introducing themselves in Dutch.}[/size]

Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest
youtu.be/3eXT60rbBVk

You’ll find it to be kind’a cool :exclamation:

It moved me to tears; for I want it to be a model for the world. How great it feels when brothers and sisters of the human family in solidarity can cooperate on a worthwhile project!!!

…And here is more by the same group:
youtube.com/watch?v=kayw0iXoK7g

After you view it, let me know what were your impressions?

George Packer, in The Atlantic, argues that the USA is broken.

theatlantic.com/magazine/ar … ns/610261/

Is this a sound argument?

I believe he makes some good points. …about the United States – which is where he l lives and works.

What is your view about the state of ethics as applied in the United States by its federal administration?

Is the new way of looking at ethics (the study and the practice of it) as presented in The Structure of Ethics document, and as further amended in the posts here by thinkdr, what you would evaluate as being useful knowledge?

:slight_smile: Please let us know. We would appreciate your response.