Page 25 - Voices! - october 2015

Ethics is that branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending and recommending concepts of right
and wrong conduct. It is derived from the Greek word ethos which is a habit or custom. Confucius said, “There
is familial affection between parents and children, there is responsibility between monarchs and officials, there is
difference between men and women, there is sequence between the old and young,
and there is trust between friends.” Aristotle’s ethical system was based on self-
realization. Immanuel Kant argued that people must act morally right from a sense
of duty. He also argued that the consequences of a person’s actions were less
important than the motives of the person. Kant’s statement implied the primacy
of virtue. This branch of ethics describes the moral agent or virtuous person as the
engine of ethical behavior. If one’s character is good, we could reasonably expect
that a consistent behavior based on high ethical standards will prevail. GE Moore
said in the 19th century that, “Our duty can be defined as that action which will cause
more good to exist in the universe than any possible alternative.” Ursula K. Le Guin
said, “The law of evolution is that the strongest survives! Yes, and the strongest, in the
existence of any social species, are those who are most social. In human terms, most
ethical. . . There is no strength to be gained from hurting one another. Only weakness.”
Jostein Gaarder said, “Acting responsibly is not a matter of strengthening our reason
but of deepening our feelings for the welfare of others.”

Dr. Martin Luther King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward
justice.”

As we gaze into the future, we face not only social issues that pose ethical dilemmas, but we see scientific changes
particularly in the realm of biology, nanotechnology, robotics, and artificial intelligence that pose even greater
dilemmas to solve. Bioethics needs to improve significantly to meet these challenges. This is why we advance
the idea of strengthening, from an early age, our parenting and educational systems like a granite moral and
ethical foundation for the rising generations of the 21st century. Ethical behavior is more likely in a just society.
Therefore, we all need to work towards strengthening a just society. I can envision a future with a more perfect
ethical system that can infuse energy, wisdom, emotion, and intellectual guidance to the collective behavior of
our species.

References
• Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark
• The Better Angels of Our Nature by Steven Pinker
• Hardwired Behavior: What Neuroscience Reveals about Morality by Lawrence Tancredi
• A Short Introduction to Philosophy by Robert Olson
• Human Morality by Samuel Scheffler

Earl Ernest Guile is the author of The Singularity Prize (a novel about future artificial intelligence in press), Antarctic
Collapse (a novel about climate change), Secrets to a Richer Life(illuminating interviews with citizens from five
continents), Secrets from the Cradle to College Admission at MIT and the Ivy League (a parent student guide to
college admissions based on his son’s MIT degree), and An Oral Health Survey of Saudi Arabia Vol.I and Vol. II.

In the course of years, as we gained experience, it was seen that our processes had values far beyond the
mere training of people to face audiences and speak their ideas. Communication was seen to have its
effects in almost every phase of life. Improvement was needed not only in public speaking, but in all use
of words, whether spoken or written. Training in speech had definite values in many lines of improvement.
Some of these may be listed thus: It leads to the discovery of hidden abilities, bringing these latent talents
into use, and thus enriching the individual’s life. It broadens the person’s conception of how to live with
people. It helps in the integration of personality. It brings out for use the leadership traits and abilities,
and thus helps to prepare the individual to be a leader. It opens the way to more creative and constructive
living for the person who takes full advantage of the opportunities offered. (Dr.Ralph C. Smedley)

Volume 2 Issue 4 - OCT 2015 25