---the origin of moral ethics---
The natural disaster has brought much re-evaluation of traditional moral ethics in China. The act of particular Chinese teacher of abandoned his students as the quake stuck the school and his subsequent "public justification" has drawn an outrage
crying among Chinese, yet, there are a group of people loudly cheer for him, pointing that his action was nothing but a "natural instinct" that everyone might as well do at such a situation.
I recalled not so long ago, I watched a documentary on LA' earthquake in early 80s. The similar natural disaster, however, till today, those selfless, risk their own lives to save others, and help victims, are remembered and praised by many American people.
What happen to China, which has long traditional high moral standard, had always put collective benefit above individual good?
Are there any moral ethics being treasured even by mass majority?
These days, I am reading "From Darwin to Hitler" by Richard Weikart.
One of commentators Dr. Richard Evans said poignantly:
"This outstanding book shows in sober and convincing detail how Darwinist thinkers in Germany had developed an amoral attitude to human society by the time of the First of World War, in which the supposed good of the race was applied as the sole criterion of public policy and "racial hygiene."
.....
He demonstrates with chilling clarity how policies such as infanticide, assisted suicide, marriage prohibition, and much else were being proposed for those considered racially or eugenically inferior by a variety of Darwinist writers and scientist, providing Hitler and the Nazis with a scientific justification for the policies they pursued once they came to power
I now see the same danger in China, people, who are intellectuals, strive to gain the political power but with amoral mindset, in various ways promoting their personal agenda.
The First World War had left the chilly wake-up call to the western world. What will happen to China?
Let us look at the origin of moral ethics, what use of moral ethics in our society?
Moral ethics has been one of unique characteristics of human beings. For those who believe in God, it is easy to understand that God has put conscious into everyone heart. The moral living is not only required by God but also the inner driven force for anyone who wants to have a peaceful and joyful life.
Even for Darwin, the moral issue was one of hardest difficulties to justify his "evolutionary theory". For Darwin, the origin of morality was not trivial side issue, but a key question he had to confront if his theory of human evolution were to be plausible.
The final suggestion he gave was that the human moral sense had arisen through the combined activity of social instincts and rationality.
Darwin explained that human social instincts and group selection had let quite naturally to the Golden Rules - Do unto others as you would have them to do unto you. There is no need for divine intervention.
He pointed out that other animals live in societies and cooperate, and the social instinct producing this cooperative behavior is heritable.
In human society, these social instincts have developed further than in most other species, and expanded human cognitive abilities, produced what we called "Morality"
What does Morality do to human society?
It is poignant to note that both camps all acknowledge the importance of morality. For God fearing people, that is basic requirement to be morally upright.
For Darwinist, they regarded ethics and morality as the products of evolution., they considered all morality relative to the evolutionary stage of development and also relative to its ability to preserve the species.
That is where the biggest weakness Darwinist evolution theory lies.
Look at our today's society, morality and ethics have been trodden to the very base.
Are we able to see any "evolutionary development" in moral and ethic perspective?
God said in 2Timothy 3:
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come, For men shall be lovers of their own selves (as Fai Run Run), covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, unthankful, uhholy. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; .....
We have to be humble to ask divine inspiring to restore our moral consciousness and to pray for God's mercy and grace.
One has to be humble to ask divine inspiring to restore one's moral consciousness and to pray for God's mercy and grace.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Moral ethics---the origin
Posted by NTU HSS at 10:16 PM
Labels: book reviews, China
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