Global Ethics Corner: How Do We Know When We've Been Bad?

May 22, 2009

To become ethical, must behavior be grounded in a religious faith or other system of belief? How do we judge the behavior of states and people?

While most people believe they are acting correctly, at the same time they often act expediently out of pure self-interest. They delude themselves.

Does this, then, require an external standard? Must you adhere to a religious faith to become ethical, or must you ground your behavior in a system of belief?

Four systems are often presented as bases for judgment: 1. adhering to a set of rules or duties; 2. focusing on the consequences of your actions; 3. emphasizing the intrinsic character of actors; and 4. faith, accepting a higher power.

All of these imply conscious attempts to lead an ethical life, to act well. All can apply to states.

But do they have to be thought out? Can't we just live, one-step-at-a-time; see-what-tomorrow-brings? Aren't we often better off being spontaneous, just do it?

Perhaps! After all, states and individuals are encased by upbringing, culture, heritage, and institutions which provide implicit systems guiding behavior.

What do you think? Do states or people need to embrace a system? Do we need to make conscious choices? How do we know when we've been bad?

By William Vocke

To post a comment, go to the Global Ethics Corner slideshow.

You may also like

CREDIT: Abobe/hamara.

SEP 25, 2024 Article

Politico Op-Ed: Walking a Fraying Nuclear Tightrope

In a new op-ed, Carnegie Council President Joel Rosenthal argues that a recommitment to nuclear arms control is nothing short of a moral imperative.

Left to Right: Eddie Mandhry, Abiodun Williams, Joel Rosenthal. CREDIT: Juhi Desai.

JUL 23, 2024 Video

Global Leadership in a Turbulent Time: A Conversation with Professor Abiodun Williams

In this roundtable discussion, Tufts University's Professor Abiodun Williams speaks about the essential leadership traits needed to drive institutional change.

MAY 30, 2024 Article

A Reflection on Climate Mobility: Has Causality Lost Resonance?

With the recent European Court of Human Rights' ruling against Switzerland in mind, Dr. Mehreen Afzal discusses a legal pathway forward for climate-induced cross-border migration.

未翻译

此内容尚未翻译成您的语言。您可以点击下面的按钮申请翻译。

要求翻译