Chapter 1Morality

Choosing what kind of person you want to become

Basic moral norms

Some basic moral norms across most human cultures Do good, avoid evil. Do (not) do unto others … Ends do not justify means. Follow what nature intends. In general, civil laws are to be obeyed. When laws are unjust, we may be

obliged to resist them.

AVOID evil …

Basic morality What is the evil

thing to avoid? What is the good

thing to do? Fundamental moral

questions Notice we did not

say "Do good: kill/punish/torment/silence evil people."

DO good.

Do (not) do unto others … Confucius: "What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others." Taoism: "Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your

own loss." Zoroaster: "Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others." Moses: "Love your neighbor as your self." (Leviticus 19:18) Buddha: "Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful." Mahabharata (Hindu scripture): One should not behave towards others in a way

which is disagreeable to oneself. Seneca (Roman philosopher): "Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your

superiors." Rabbi Hillel: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the law: all

the rest is commentary." Jesus: "Do unto others as you would have do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) Mohammed: "No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he

desires for himself." Sikh faith: "No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend." Guru

Arjan Dev Immanuel Kant: "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same

time will that it would become a universal law." Bahai faith: "Wish not for others what you wish not for yourselves" Mohandas Gandhi: "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind." Karl Popper: "The golden rule ... is further improved by doing unto others, wherever

possible, as they want to be done by."

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Whatever is disagreeable to yourself do not do unto others. Zoroaster,

Persian prophet(12th century BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Love your neighbor

as your self. Moses,

Hebrew prophet(ca. 10th to 12th century BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Siddhārtha

Gautama,the Buddha(563-483 BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Regard your neighbor’s gain as your gain, and your neighbor’s loss as your own loss. Laozi,

founder of Taoism(5th-6th century BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others. Confucius,

founder of Confucianism(551-497 BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. Mahabharata,

Hindu scripture(3rd to 5th century BC)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man.

This is the law: all the rest is commentary. Rabbi Hillel,

1st century Rabbi(ca. 30 BC-10 AD)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Jesus of Nazareth,

founder of Christianity(8 BC-36 AD)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Treat your inferiors as you would be treated by your superiors. Lucius Annaeus

Seneca,Roman philosopher(ca. 4 BC-65 AD)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. Prophet

Muhammed,founder of Islam(570-632)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

No one is my enemy, none a stranger and everyone is my friend. Guru Arjan Dev,

fifth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism(1563-1606)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it would become a universal law. Immanuel Kant,

German philosopher(1724-1804)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

Wish not for others what you wish not for yourselves. Bahaullah,

founder of the Baha’i faith(Persia, 1817-1892)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Mohandas

Karamchand Mahatma Gandhi,Indian independence leader(1868-1948)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

The golden rule ... is further improved

by doing unto others, wherever possible, as they want to be done by. Karl Popper,

British philosopher(1902-1994)

Universal ethic of reciprocity

“Love, and do what you will” St. Augustine of

Hippo(354 to 430 CE)

(one of Mr. Gentry’s personal mottos)

… and the rest?

Ends do not justify means. Follow what nature intends. In general, civil laws are to be obeyed. When laws are unjust, we may be

obliged to resist them.