Are there universal ethical principles?

Question

The first question considered in ethics is whether any moral laws are objectively valid and independent of cultural context, history, or situation. How the question is answered depends largely on the philosophical disposition of the respondent. Universalists, such as Plato and Kant, assert that the fundamental principles of ethics are universal, unchanging, and eternal. These rules of right and wrong are valid regardless of our interests, attitudes, desires, or preferences. Some believe these rules are revealed by God, while others maintain they can be discovered through reason and knowledge.

What are your opinions?

Answer 1

Let's put it this way: if there were such a thing as a universal ethic, it would (logically enough) have to be UNIVERSAL. In other words, it would have to be always applicable, to any situation, any creature, and any time. In other words, if you can think of even a completely hypothetical situation where a supposed universal ethic would be violated, then it can't be universal.

And that's the big problem. It's relatively easy to think of situations that may never arise involving creatures that will probably never exist that violate just about any ethic you can name (and certainly almost all the ones I've heard of).

For example, if glorks have to be killed to have children, and genocide is bad, then glorks must kill each other to avoid genocide. Therefore there cannot be a universal ethic prohibiting killing.

I actually tend to think that if there were a universal ethic, there could only be one, and no more. The reason for this being that if there were two ethics, eventually a situation would arise where they would be at odds. One would prevail, and the other would have to be non-universal.

In that sense, it seems to me that there is only one logical choice for a universal ethic... Kant comes close with his categorical imperative, in not defining an actual rule but rather a rule by which rules are formed. I think, however, that he misses another more important qualification: that which makes all rules possible. Existence.

Answer 2

Universal Ethics

Answer 3

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Tying it back in I think that University Health Care should be a Universal Ethical Principle. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Depends what you mean by "universal." There's the practical sense, in which you ask, what ethical principles do ALL societies have in common? That kind of universal makes them "objectively (empirically) valid". Then there's the sense "universally applicable," where you ask, what ethical principles can be derived by deduction from facts (for me, this would satisfy the idea of a "revealed" or "natural" ethics, and be identical to it).

I believe that an objectively valid principle for individuals is, it's wrong to deliberately cause another person (me!) to suffer if it is purely to satisfy one's own desire to see them suffer (sadism). For societies, prohibitions of violent and property crime are virtually universal; they are just explication or codification of the most basic interpersonal respect. For people to live together, there must be this basic interpersonal respect, or else it's not a society, it's not "civilization" at all but a free-for-all. However, I say "virtually" universal on purpose -- always, who gets what respect is conditional according to the cultural values.

I believe there is no moral or ethical law than can be logically deduced as "right" from empirical facts. All ethical laws must assume the existence of a point of view to have any meaning at all, and that involves assuming a set of values (however basic they may be -- even "I don't like to suffer" can conceivably vary according to cultural or personal definitions of suffering).

Answer 5

Are there universal ethical principles? ..... NO!
There are Universe Principals. They are called the 'Laws of Life'.
Ethical??? Does electricity have ethics? Ethics are man created (Reality not Absolute). The Laws of Life/energy/physics are God created. (Not the God you believe in though; and 'Truth' can never be ascertain through reason or through mind.).
Karma is a Law of Life which does not deal with ethics.
Plato and Kant and all western philosophers only deal with mental concepts not REALITY nor the World of ISNESS!

Answer 6

In every culture, ancient and modern, there are rules or laws. There are basic morals that can be traced throughout all of history. Ancient cultures in the far east, throughout Europe and Africa, and even pre-Columbus America have had laws concerning murder, theft, injury and the like. These cultures had no way of connecting with one another yet each have had similar codes of ethics. Does this mean that there is one God that placed this code of ethics in every human? You kinda gotta figure that out on your own.

Answer 7

Some "moral" laws are indeed universal and objective. Not killing another human unless in self defense. Difficult to intelligently argue against that. Humans are animals in nature and should follow all the laws of nature. Defending your young is universal and objective.

Society puts labels on behaviors if they don't fit a specific belief. This makes them subjective. Any "moral" based on religion is subjective and up for interpretation. This type of discussion could go on for days, weeks, years... lifetime of detailing philosophical beliefs.

Bottom line, my belief is there are some universal morals that are unchanging and a LOT of "morals" that are set by society. There are a separate list of "morals" set forth by the church and religion. Some of these cross over, some do not.

Answer 8

Nothing human is universal.