Isn't there a reasoned set of ethics that everyone can agree on?

Question

Why?
67890

97% of adults, i guess, is good enough.

Answer 1

Intentionally hurt someone else and you are unethical, disrespectful, and inhumane.

Answer 2

I don't believe so, because if things are put to a vote, we could have voter fraud along with all the other ills that such selection processes are heir to.

And even if there was unanimous agreement, this would be no guarantee that a mistake had not been made. In court cases, every witness is examined, in case there is one that accuses all the others of being liars or of having overlooked some crucial fact or piece of evidence.

Our own imperfection and limitation will always prevent us from being able to develop a perfect set of ethics based on reason.

Now, having said that, I must admit that it is perfectly feasible for us to develop a reasonable set of ethics, which will cover most of the possibilities, and be moderately fair to everybody. And I agree that it is necessary, for us to be able to live in peace. This is why government is better than anarchy and law is better than license (generally speaking.)

What we must be on guard against is the type of reasoning that says "We have now arrived at a set of ethics; nothing that lies outside this can be ethical or need be considered."

We will always need to reflect on our own imperfection and limits and adapt as time goes on. We must then develop rules by which to determine whether and when our ethics must be adapted.

Answer 3

It depends on who you are talking about that you want to agree. Do you mean all of humanity, or do you mean your country? I believe that a cultural group can reach an agreement on ethics, however, I don't believe ethics crosses cultures equitably. Some cultures are altruistic, some socialist, and some focus more on the independent person as opposed to the good of the group. For me the one thing that I think we might all be able to agree on is the old adage, treat other people the way you would like them to treat you. Even that might not cross cultures well. When I try to think like a socialist or a communist, I can't because I was raised in a culture that cherishes Independence and freedom of choice. It might not be that in say, oh I don't know, Iraq or China or somewhere else that they don't believe you should treat others the way you want to be treated, but maybe feel that you should treat others bad first before they get you? Since I can't think like someone raised in another culture, I can't really say what they would think about the golden rule.

Answer 4

At least here in the U.S. most people seem to be uninterested in developing a reasoned set of ethics. A majority of Americans prefer what might be called "received ethics", which are ethical pronoucements made by religious leaders who justify them by attributing them to gods. Most of those people believe that no other ethics are even possible, claiming that ethics can only come from a god.

To make a long story short, before coming to agreement about a reasonsed set of ethics we face the giant hurdle of convincing people that we even NEED such a grounded set of ethics.

Answer 5

No, I think that is one thing that makes us all interesting.
Many people don't have the ability to "reason", let alone agree on a set of ethics.
Sorry-that wasn't slamming anyone. I just meant that not everyone has the same educational level,common sense or life experiences.
Not everyone has studied Logic and Reasoning, that's all.

Answer 6

No, of course there isn't. However much we may like to use words like "morality" and "justice" in monolithic ways, the truth is that these words mean very different things to different people. Where morality comes from, what it means, whether it's absolute – all these are subjects of intense debate. Moreover, "reason" alone won't get you anywhere in a moral discussion; sooner or later, you're going to have to examine your base assumptions, and those are invariably based on instinct or emotion.

Answer 7

If we were able to create a set of ethics that is perfect (logical, fair, etc.) there would still be people who disagree with it. Part of human nature is the desire to make one's own decisions. People tend to resist being told what to do.

Answer 8

i think so, the golden rule is an example, some of the ten commandments too....although to clarify not because of the religious aspects. just plain common courtesy and friendliness would really help this world

Answer 9

Nope

Answer 10

The Golden Rule: Do to others as you would want done to you. If everyone followed this, atrocities would not exist.

Answer 11

there is NOTHING in this world that everyone can agree on
1 certain thing death but some people will disagree
NOTHING can be agreed on by all