Indeed ! On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 10:05 PM, ornamentalmind <[email protected] > wrote:
> Somehow I seemed to have missed this until now. It appears to be of > import and a common topic found here at ME. > > I'm copy/pasting a small part of it and the link to the original is at > the bottom. > > For the benefit of all beings, > > orn > > > Introduction to Ethics for the New Millennium > > Ethics for the New Millennium is addressed to a general audience. It > presents a moral framework based on universal rather than religious > principles. It rests on the observation that those whose conduct is > ethically positive are happier and more satisfied and the belief that > much of the unhappiness we humans endure is actually of our own > making. Its ultimate goal is happiness for every individual, > irrespective of religious belief. > > Though the Dalai Lama is himself a practicing Buddhist, his approach > to life and the moral compass that guides him can be of use to each > and every one of us – Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist or atheist – in > our quest to lead a happier, more fulfilling life. According to the > Dalai Lama our survival has depended and will continue to depend on > our basic goodness as human beings. In the past, the respect people > had for their religion helped maintain ethical practice through a > majority following one religion or another. > > Today, with the growing secularization and globalization of society, > we must find a way that transcends religion to establish consensus as > to what constitutes positive and negative conduct, what is right and > wrong and what is appropriate and inappropriate. > ... > > Definitions of Ethics > > 1. Webster’s New International Dictionary, 2nd Edition > > i. A treatise on morals (Aristotle) > > ii. The science of moral duty, more broadly the science > of the ideal human character and the ideal ends of human action. The > chief problems with which ethics deals concern the nature of the > summum bonum or highest good, the origin and validity of the sense of > duty, and the character and authority of moral obligation. > > The principal ethical theories are: > > 1. Such as consider happiness to be the greatest good; these may be > egoistic, as is usually the case with hedonistic and eudaemonistic > theories, or altruistic, as utilitarianism. > > 2. Theories of perfectionism or self realization. > > 3. Theories resting upon the nature of man to the universe or to > divine laws, as Stoicism, evolution, Christian ethics. Intuitionism > and empiricism in ethics are doctrines opposed with respect to the > character of the sense of duty. Absolute ethics affirms an unchanging > moral code; relative ethics regards moral rules as varying with human > development. > > iii. Moral principles, quality or practice; a system or > moral principles; as, social ethics, medical ethics, professional > ethics forbids him; the morals of individual action or practice, as > the ethics of conscientious man. > > 2. WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University > > i. Motivation based on ideas of right and wrong [syn: ethical motive, > morals, morality] > > ii. The philosophical study of moral values and rules [syn: moral > philosophy] > > 3. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth > Edition > > i. A set of principles of right conduct. > > ii. A theory or a system of moral values: “An ethic of service is at > war with a craving for gain” (Gregg Easterbrook). > > iii. The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific > moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy. > > iv. The rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the > members of a profession: medical ethics. > > 4. Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy by Geddes MacCregor > > i. The term ethics is derived from the Greek ethos, which means > custom or usage. It has basic affinities, therefore, with similar > notions in non-Western cultures, such as China, where the Confucian > term li, meaning propriety or courtesy or decorum has the same > fundamental significance. The Greeks, e.g., Plato, used the term dike, > meaning also custom or usage to designate the right way of behaving, > very much as Confucius used the term li in Chinese. > > ii. The adjectives ethical and moral are synonymous and > philosophers who concern themselves with ethical problems have been > sometimes known as moral philosophers as contrasted with logicians, > metaphysicians, and other specialists. Moral philosophers may either > build systems of guidance in reaching ethical decisions, i.e., > decisions about what course of actions is good or bad. They also > analyze what is to be meant by good and bad, right or wrong. Modern > ethics tends more in the latter than in the former direction, but both > functions are necessary in the pursuit of ethical questions. Ethics as > a whole belongs to value theory, which includes aesthetics and other > branches. > > From: http://www.dalailamafoundation.org/studyguide > -- ASHOK TEWARI
