THE
CODE FOR GLOBAL ETHICS
INTRODUCTION:
THE ETHICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE OF ANY SOCIETY
I. A NEW MORAL
CODE
Morality
is an attribute of human conduct. It relates to how people do what is right, in
all situations, in their private activities and when dealing with their fellow
human beings. Such behavior must be honest, fair and just, above and beyond any
legalistic subtleties. To be moral in a humanistic way is much more than the
obligation to obey the law or to practice decent human sexuality. Humanist moral standards apply to all
human activities, whether carried out individually or collectively. The
fundamental humanistic laws of conscience and humanity apply in all
circumstances and to all individuals, whatever their capacity. There is no
"adaptable morality" for one person in one capacity and another one
when acting in another capacity..................
CHAPTER
1
Dignity and Equality:
-PROCLAIM THE NATURAL DIGNITY AND EQUALITY OF
ALL
HUMAN BEINGS
First humanist rule:
Proclaim the natural dignity
and inherent equality of all human beings.
The first humanist rule is the most important
because it deals with basic human dignity. All the other rules are derived from
the first one. We therefore proclaim that respect for human dignity should be
the fundamental principle governing relations between individuals and among
nations............
CHAPTER
2
RESPECT: -RESPECT LIFE AND PROPERTY
Second humanist rule:
Respect the life and property
of others.
The second
humanist rule is really two rules in one, in the sense that since life is the most
important property that a human being can ever have, respect for life and
respect for property translate into not killing each other and in not stealing
from each other. This second rule is also a prerequisite for rule #9 that
mandates democracy and free markets as the best institutions for guaranteeing
human freedom and liberty.
The most Important Property is Life
The natural right of property, beginning
with the ownership of one's own life, is the foundation of human liberty. There
cannot be individual freedom without people having the liberty to own what is
needed for their survival and development, while being responsible for what
they own. To own something is to be responsible for it, to be free to have
control over it and be able to dispose of it and to enter into voluntary
contracts with others. Ownership is therefore the foundation of voluntary
economic exchange, of commerce.and of free functioning markets. When despotic
governments or other authorities deprive people of their natural right to
property, they ipso facto deprive them
of their natural right to be free.........
CHAPTER 3
tolerance: -SHOW
TOLERANCE AND OPEN MINDEDNESS TOWARDS OTHERS
Third humanist rule:
Practice tolerance and
open-mindedness towards the choices and life styles of others.
How people choose to be moral is their own
personal decision, provided they do not hurt others. The first manifestation of
tolerance is to have the greatest respect for people who happen to have
different feelings, different philosophies or different views of the world. The
fundamental right of freedom of conscience means that people have a right to
their own thoughts, their own beliefs, their own philosophies and their own
religions. The only requirement is that they do not impose these beliefs on
others. Fanaticism, extremism and proselyticism are the opposite of tolerance,
trust and open-minded attitudes in human relations.......
CHAPTER 4
Sharing: -SHARE WITH THE LESS FORTUNATE AND THOSE
IN NEED
Fourth humanist rule:
Share with those who are less
fortunate and mutually assist those who are in need of help.
Caring and Altruism
Even
though nature itself is cold and amoral, caring and altruism are natural human attributes.
Because they needed to live in groups to survive in a harsh environment, early
humans had to develop a capacity for sharing and for mutual assistance in order
to overcome the forces of nature. Humans would not have survived without
such a culture of sharing. Initially, all what was needed was sharing the means
of subsistence within a small group of related people. Overtime, the concept
and practice of sharing evolved to embrace larger communities, especially as
conflicts between grouips for survival became more frequent and more
deadly........
CHAPTER
5
NO DOMINATION:
-DO NOT DOMINATE AND EXPLOIT OTHERS THROUGH
LIES, OR THROUGH TEMPORAL OR SPIRITUAL POWER
Fifth humanist rule:
Use neither lies, nor
temporal power, nor spiritual power to dominate and exploit others. Proclaim
the principle of equality of opportunity for all.
To lie, cheat, and resort to corruption
in order to amass riches and gain power at the expense of others are all
examples of exploitation, and are contrary to a humanist approach to life in
society. In daily human interactions, economic or social, there is no
exploitation when such exchanges are voluntary and mutually rewarding. However,
when these exchanges are made under duress or through misrepresentation, they
are tantamount to exploitation because they arise from a situation of abuse,
oppression, corruption or manipulation.......
CHAPTER 6
NO SUPERSTITION: -RELY ON REASON AND LOGIC AND
AVOID SUPERSTITIONS
Sixth humanist rule:
Rely on reason and science to understand the
Universe and to solve life's problems.
Our natural
world
vs. the
supernatural world
The first question to be asked is whether there is a
supernatural world, besides or beyond our natural and physical world, in which
the natural Laws of Physics do not apply. The truth is that there is absolutely
no proof or evidence, past or present, that a supernatural world exists or has
ever existed, or that human spirits survive death. It is the duty of those who
pretend otherwise to prove their case, since it is impossible to prove a
negative. As humans, we come from matter present in the Universe when we are
born, and we merge with the rest of the Universe when we are dead, leaving our
deeds and memories behind. There is no proof of the existence of a supernatural
world, except in some people's minds. —It is a dangerous fiction........
CHAPTER
7
Conserve: -Conserve and improve the earth's natural
environment
Seventh humanist rule:
Conserve and improve the
Earth's natural environment —land, soil, water, air and space—as
humankind's common heritage.
The natural Environment
The
Earth's environment—land, soil, air, water and space—form a
unifying whole that sustains human life. Whether we like it or not, humans are
a significant part of the Earth's environment, and this means that they can do
something to keep it free of pollution. Humans have to pay attention to the
environment and to the global life support system. We need more scientific
understanding of the Earth's complex system and more enlightened international
collaboration to face the new challenges that global pollution presents. Earth's
current inhabitants have no right to leave a damaged and depreciated
environment to future generations........
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CHAPTER
8
NO
WAR: -DO NOT RESORT TO VIOLENCE OR
TO WARS
Eighth humanist rule:
Resolve differences and
conflicts cooperatively without resorting to violence or to wars.
The sources of human violence and
brutality toward other humans remain the object of numerous researches and
speculation. Are humans more prone to violence and to being more morally irresponsible when acting in isolation or
when acting within a group? Why was the 20th Century one of the most violent in
human history? Is moral progress keeping pace with advances in technology, or
is there a widening gap between the two? What could be the consequences for
human survival if technology advances but morality regresses? As psychologist Ervin Staub has put it, "The
widespread hope and belief that human beings had become increasingly
'civilized' was shattered by the events of the Second World War, particularly
the systematic, deliberate extermination of six million Jews by Hitler's Third
Reich." Why then is
moral progress so slow, as compared to scientific and technological
progress?.....
CHAPTER
9
democracy: -ADOPT
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY
Ninth humanist rule:
Organize public affairs
according to individual freedom and responsibility, through political and
economic democracy.
When people accept to live in
society—and they have little choice to do otherwise—they are bound
to reap various social benefits (security, education, health services, etc.),
but they also have social responsibilities. To profit from society and its
institutions and from the economic system and its markets (economic opportunities
and rewards, respect of contracts, stabilitiy, etc.), and to act in a way that
is contrary to the common good, is to be immoral. Antisocial behavior that
undermines social and economic stability and efficiency is tantamount to
free-loading on the rest of society and is contrary to humanist morality.
However, not all political and economic systems guarantee the maximum net
benefits to people, in terms of individual freedom and economic opportunities.
Experience has demonstrated that some systems are more conducive to individual
happiness than others. Those systems that place the individual at the center of
their functioning are the best. Those systems that oppress and exploit the
individual are the worst........
CHAPTER
10
education: -DEVELOP ONE’S
INTELLIGENCE AND TALENTS THROUGH EDUCATION AND EFFORT
Tenth humanist rule:
Develop one's intelligence
and talents through education and effort.
Education as Gate to Freedom, Progress and
Prosperity
Humans are not intrinsically wicked,
wretched and lacking, as so many religions assume and proclaim. Rather, humans
are great beings, adept at accomplishing great things. They are capable of
intelligence, compassion and cooperation, and they are predisposed to learn and
improve themselves. That is why education, education, education should be the
fundamental priority of every society. It is the key to freedom, progress and
prosperity. Education is the best protector of liberty. It is the avenue of
social progress. It is the best of social investments. It is not blind faith
that produces freedom; knowledge brings victory over ignorance and freedom.
Knowldege empowers human beings and equips them with the tools of survival.
However, education is not only about the acquisition of knowledge; it must also
emphasize the development of morals. Knowledge without morals can easily become
a threat to society.......
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CHAPTER 11
IMPLEMENTING MORAL
BEHAVIOR:
The
necessary but limited social role of institutions: governments, tribunals and
police
How can one be optimistic and practical humanists
without being naive and unrealistic? That is the challenge that all of us who
strive to improve things in the world inevitably must face. More specifically,
in a post-religion world, how can personal and collective moral behavior be
encouraged without the mythical and etherial inventions of Paradise and
Hell?.......
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CONCLUSION
MODERN
HUMANISM AND THE FUTURE OF HUMANKIND
The ten basic commandments of rational
humanism exposed in this book represent a universal philosophy of thinking and
behaving. Even though it would be futile to search for a perfect moral system,
humanity has no other choice than to adopt the most civilized rules of private
and collective behavior that can best guarantee its chances of survival.......
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