Ethical Obligations?

Question

What ethical obligations do you think industrial societies have toward respecting the human rights and cultural diversity of traditional communities?

Answer 1

I will not answer by listing our ethical obligations towards "traditional" cultures. To me, they are obvious. But I will use my personal experience in a mayan community to justify this duty which is to obey non-western world's diversity. I believe our societies would, could, should make it a priority to respect, protect, and honor traditional knowledge and communities. I lived for 2 years in a Mayan Community. I learned and listened and came back to the US persuaded: Some of our society's biggest issues could be answered by listening to what these groups have to say. I also believe that part of the survival of our so-called humanity depends on the preservation and deference towards their cultures.

Answer 2

Human rights should be paramount and respected at all levels equally, although that is not entirely possible (ie, because a corporation opens a factory with acceptable working standards in a developing nation does not impel that corporation to provide immunizations and educational standards equivalent to the home country).

The cultural diversity, ie continued existence of, traditional communities is not entirely within the corporate control. While I look down strongly upon any attempts to destroy such a society, it is true that societies are continually in flux, and many are highly adaptable and will incorporate elements brought in by the industrial society - and through their own choices.

I'd take a stronger stance on the human rights issue than on the traditional cultures issue.

Answer 3

Respecting of the cultural diversity is indispensable, if we want to speak about ethics. But it's almost impossible to stop bringing our "industrial luxury" (and industrial dirt) to the traditional communities. And also our thinking and image of human rights. For example woman in our society has much more rights than woman in some other cultures. Shall we give her the choice? We are giving it, all the time. Or (another example) it's hard to resist the temptation between the death (traditional) and industrial antibiotics. The industrial way of life penetrates almost everywhere.

Answer 4

Since industial society is about as unnatural as you can get in reguards to the human spirit and human culture, I dont think its a relevant question. Once we allowed "industrial progress" we gave up the right to question its ethics.

If you think about what you can even view on a daily basis, this society is crippling human nature. And right around the corner is the "next evolution" into technology such as nano-engineering and artificial intelligence. Its pretty obvious "we" have absolutely no say in the direction this is heading.

So ethics have been laid to the wayside. Its nice to imagine that we care about the ethics of it all...its just not practiced anymore by the poeple. People are afraid today to ask questions. Of course there are still free thinkers out there, but they/we are massively outnumbered and barely have the means to get our voice heard.

So we gave up that right (at the very least our previous generations did) and we still do by consuming.