Random thoughts on secular ethics
“When starting to think about ethics, you should think about the importance of the words you use: it’s important to be aware of how they affect your thinking about an ethical dilemma.”
This quote means that we have to be aware of what ethics means, what they are, and the common ground we, as society, share. Because we do not live encapsulated nor segregated from real life there are aspects on which we all agree and consider as good or bad. So we’ve come up with what we call ethical norms. That are pretty much accepted worldwide. These are rules by which we decide to run life by. So the quote I used previously, probably, was the most shocking paragraph I read throughout the whole article. Ant that’s because, so often, I’ve found myself using words without really thinking what they truly mean. So many times in my life I’ve found myself using expressions that today’s pop culture throws to us through the media. For example I use the expression: “Work like black to live like white”. I really do not mean to be disrespectful or racist with my comment. All I want to communicate is that in order to live as I do I’ve to work hard. But if I’ve to be honest and reflect on the words used on that expression I have to accept that it’s a racist expression. I, by no means, stands for slavery but using that phrase might be seen as an expression that recognize slavery in order to have work done and live problem free.
So back again into the ethical norms. I do believe that they are quite important for us. As they, in many cases, determine not only the way we conduct ourselves but also the actions we decide to do. For example if I stand for integrity and honesty when paying for something I receive more money than I should after paying then I will tell the cashier that she tendered me more money and I will give back the money. For me that’s a simple way to show that I stand by what I believe is an ethical issue. Norms also help us to do life within a community, as each member of the community agrees on the same thing, and eventually will help us do life in a better way. Having clear my ethics, and what I stand for will help me live my life in accordance and therefore, for me, life will be more meaningful.
