Man is a Moral Being in Two Senses
Humanity & Society
THEE is an account of , and this involves social life. forms itself into communities which coalesce for self-defence and cultural preservation into . So «» is the broader unifying category, and «» is the partial and divisive notion.
Humanity
Societies cannot alter the essence of these transcendental Root phenomena. The are essentially the same everywhere. Sustenance of humanity and the battle between good and evil within the human heart are also invariant, as are the that emerge from the . As a result, the production of goodness must be identical across humanity.
Society
We all exist in highly distinctive societies, which each have and identity defined by . Although it is not generally appreciated, two sources of ethical values can be identified in a society:
- Rules of emerge as a necessary requirement of social existence: i.e. the fact that our groups require .
- Different moral structures emerge from personal existence i.e. the fact that we develop an identity as .
Comparison
The generates the and , as universally found in societies via the above two mechanisms. However, all these ethical entities emerge from , whose defining feature is their divisiveness and partialness.
By contrast, the primal quests and derived frameworks found nested within the are not restricted in this way. At the end, they become dominated by , whose defining features are their universality and goodness. So we are in the realm of humanity.
Freedom & Responsibility
Within the Primary domains, THEE entities are categories ("Platonic forms" in philosophy-speak) that allow for freedom and responsibility. So while there are numerous categories of or , it is up to each society to determine what exactly should be chosen or done within any particular category. Many values are held in common amongst societies, especially those relating to biological needs like food and shelter. But it is common for an or a or necessary for acceptance within one community to be irrelevant or even abhorrent within another.
In the transcendental Root Complex, by contrast, there are specific choices or activities demanded as part of the various frameworks. There appears to be far less freedom here: we are human beings and we are not free to be rocks or trees or fish. The only issue for us is: what sort of human beings will we be? This is a
The implication of all this is that man is by nature a moral being in two senses:
- Man is social and engages with the ethical and moral values of a particular society or culture. Freedom in a society is impossible without responsibility. This is what participation means and so you are accountable to others. Participation is required to thrive in society (or any organized group): any rejection of social rules leads to severe disadvantage and, at the extreme, to becoming an outlaw or an outcast.
- Man is human and possesses an urge for goodness and associated virtues that push to be exercised. The preference for what is good exists regardless of what society may mandate or permit. Freedom within humanity, paradoxically, does not require responsibility except insofar as you willingly see that your freedom is a responsibility. So you are accountable to yourself alone.
is a right, or a privilege, or an immunity. It is not something a person just «has». Society decides just how much and what sort of freedom you «have». What society is always in danger of doing is invading and deforming natural freedom and the natural responsibility that accompanies a commitment to goodness. In many societies, authorities have no hesitation in labeling the virtuous man as a public enemy.
- Do you think that goodness is rare?
Originally posted: 28-April-2012
