Biological science studies (among other things such as genetics and the varieties of life forms) how the human species evolved and adapted to its habitat. It discovered that by cooperating and collaborating humans managed to evolve to the present time rather than becoming extinct.
Over time the human brain developed nerve connections that remind us to cooperate. Biologists, and Psychologists, speak of this as our ‘moral sense.’ Brain Neurologists have discovered that we are pre-wired to have a moral sense. In Ethics this is known as the conscience.
If we listen to it we will cooperate more, and thus we will get more benefits. Science explains all this to us. Evolutionary Biology explains the benefits of cooperation.
The branch of moral philosophy known as Ethics, in a recent update of it by R. S. Hartman and M. C. Katz [size=85]- see viewtopic.php?f=1&t=184017&p=2429445#p2429445 -[/size] teaches us that our ultimate purpose is to provide well-being for all members of the species. Fulfilling this purpose both facilitates cooperation and, in turn, cooperation helps us achieve a quality life, a life full of value, for one and all. Hence we find that there is no conflict between Ethics and science.
In fact, historically philosophy has been “the mother of science” giving birth to new sciences. For when the vague, ambiguous, words of philosophy are sufficiently sharpened up, when they become more exact, they become terms in a network of related concepts which serve to explain and order the relevant empirical data. The data gets organized by the scientific system. This can occur in Ethics. It can evolve in clarity until it itself constitutes a new scientific theory. This will happen when its key terms are well-defined and are all related to each other. Good philosophy eventually ushers in good science. Alchemy became Chemistry. Natural Philosophy became Physical Science. Philosophy of Mind helped give birth to Psychology (the Science of Behavior.) Etc.
Some of the data of Ethics are acts of altruism, of kindness, of compassion, of reverence and respect. Instances of appreciation, rescue, rehabilitation, heroism, empathy, moral courage, whistle-blowing, authenticity, fairness, justice, peace-making, etc. are also empirical data relevant to Ethics. These need to be ordered and explained; a new paradigm, a good frame of reference can do it. See the paper by Dr. Katz entitled BASIC ETHICS myqol.com/wadeharvey/PDFs/BASIC%20ETHICS.pdf [size=60] {If math or technical discussions turn you off, you may want to skip the first nine pages. Let me know your impressions of the little booklet after you have had a chance to look it over …and, if it interests you, to study it.}[/size]
Let us get to work and accomplish this. Then we will see new ethical technologies resulting - such as, for example, a proliferation of workers cooperatives - which will make our lives morally better. [size=83]{ usworker.coop/ You may want to read the article on Workers Cooperatives in Wiki. It turns out that there are thousands of them in the world now. They are models of Applied Ethics. They are precursors of the economy that would prevail in an ethical world…}[/size]
Isn’t a quality life what we really want?