Definitions
The word ethics (Lat. ethica < Gr. ethos) means custom, habit, way. It is the totality of norms of human behavior or the science studying morality.
Morality (Fr. morale < Lat. moralis – moral) means virtue, norms and principles regulating human behavior, one of the forms of social consciousness.
Morality determines what is good to do and what is bad. It determines this based not on the interests of a single individual but on the interests of the whole society.
Object of Ethics
Morality
Good and Evil
Human Equality
The Golden Rule of Morality
Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. This position is quite correct, but very limited, although secular ethics could hardly find anything better than this definition of moral behavior. If such behavior is the minimum condition for moral behavior, yet often in life this condition is incorrect, because another person often wants what we would not want.
Sources of Morality
"Among those who seek victory, I am morality." (Bhagavad-gita 10.38)
The true source of morality is Krishna. He created the world. From Him came the living entities. He created dharma (duties) and rita (order) so that all living entities would be satisfied. Krishna also arranged everything so that everyone would be happy by giving, not by taking. Vedic civilization is based on yajna – sacrifice. These are the principles of eternal morality.
Secular Sources of Morality:
- Morality arose when people began to think about how best to live
- Morality arises from customs
- We see the rudiments of morality in the behavior of all social animals
- The moral code in social animals may be sewn into their genes
- The moral code may be related to mutual benefit
- For primitive people, the basis of morality may be obligations to the group
- Loyalty to the group as opposed to loyalty to individual personalities
- Every society encourages the devotion of members to the group through a system of rewards and punishments
History of Ethics
Greece
Protagoras stated that moral principles are necessary to make life at least tolerable.
Socrates: a person who knows what is good is actually good.
Plato: justice consists of harmony between the three components of the soul: intellect, emotions, and desires.
Aristotle: the universe is composed of hierarchical structures, the lower of which are meant to serve the higher.
India
Unlike Egypt and Babylon, ethics in India was philosophical from the very beginning.
The basic principle is ritam – righteousness. Righteousness and truth are inseparable.
The practical application of ethics comes down to four principles: artha, dharma, kama, moksha.
Charvaka Ethics
Denies spiritual aspirations and asserts that one should pursue all available pleasures here and now.
Jain Ethics
Non-violence is the basis of all morality and the true path to spiritual perfection.
Buddhist Ethics
Based on compassion. The "Middle Way" between renunciation and pleasures.
Vaishnava Ethics (BG 6.32)
ātmaupamyena sarvatra
samaṁ paśyati yo 'rjuna
sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ
sa yogī paramo mataḥ
„He is a perfect yogī who, by comparison to his own self, sees the true equality of all beings, in both their happiness and their distress, O Arjuna!"
Morality as Restriction of Freedom
The more developed a society is, the more it restricts individual freedom for the sake of the welfare of the whole society. Vedic society is characterized by an especially high degree of such restrictions. The opposite of morality or ethics is criminality. The freer a society feels, the more degraded it is.
A civilized society does not mean that it gives freedom to do whatever and however one wants. The more civilized a person is, the more they restrict their material needs. This distinguishes a human from an animal: before doing what comes to mind, a human thinks: what will be the consequences for me and for those around me.
Sin and Virtue
✅ Virtue
That which promotes the experience of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Goodness is the harmony of existence, awareness, and joy.
❌ Sin
That which distances from eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Evil is the lack of these elements. Ignorance of eternal relationships with the Supreme is the cause of all sins.
Crime and Punishment
Every society forms its own moral rules, what is acceptable and what is not. Even tribes that seem savage to us have their own moral code, which is even quite strict. In most societies, we see that violations of certain rules, which are called crimes, are punished even by taking of life.
Vedic society did not pity criminals, or rather pitied them by punishing them strictly. The Vedas say that an arsonist, poisoner, attacker threatening with a deadly weapon, embezzlers of property, conquerors of foreign lands, kidnappers of women can be killed on the spot, their death does not incur sin. In fact, this is mercy to the criminal, so he will not have to suffer later.
SB says that the lightest suffering awaits the one who does not know that he is performing sinful activity. He who knows it is wrong but cannot restrain himself suffers more severely. He suffers most who performs sinful activity due to atheism or a desire to oppose God's will.
Justice and Mercy
All cultures have a very developed justice system. Any moral system is based on justice. Above social justice are cosmic laws of justice, which operate precisely and without mercy.
Vaishnava philosophy states: mercy is higher than justice. God created this world justly, but left room for mercy in it, because He Himself is merciful. Even if a person acts unjustly, but surrenders to God in his heart and repents of his deeds, God, by His exclusive will, can lift even condemned entity.
Relativity of Morality
Morality is what a concrete society forms it to be. Limits of decency can vary greatly in savage society and civilized society. For example, in medieval times, for a woman to show her leg above the knees in public was considered indecent. These days it is completely normal.
Anthropologists' view:
- There is no universal ethics. Every society presents very different norms of behavior.
- Different duties in different societies are formed by the same universal principles.
- Research shows that human societies flourish even following completely different moral norms.
- No ethical principles are correct, except for those in the society where they are followed.
Srimad Bhagavatam's view is different. In the seventh canto, instructions are given on how an ideal society should be organized... In other words, it can be stated that even in the material world there exist certain objective moral laws. Vedic morality embodies these laws.
Judging by the meaning and content of various rules and restrictions, we can understand that Vedic moral principles are the strictest. They teach to limit one's material needs and renounce consumerism.
Purpose of Morality
Various restrictions and moral rules are intended so that one member of society does not cause harm to other members of society. Such harm can be material (theft) or physical.
When an opportunity to steal is created, or theft is justified, it immediately affects society itself. In fact, in such a society "if you don't steal - you won't live". However, if you steal – you also won't live, because such a society will always be poor. In this way, non-observance of moral norms turns against the person himself.
Social Moral Rules
📜 Ten Commandments
- You shall have no other Gods before Me
- You shall not make for yourself an image or worship them
- You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain
- Observe the Sabbath day
- Honor your father and your mother
- You shall not murder
- You shall not commit adultery
- You shall not steal
- You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor
- You shall not covet your neighbor's goods, wife or servant
Who Are Rules Applied To?
All rules are intended for people inclined to commit crimes. Otherwise, there would be no need to restrict anything. Or rules are intended for those who do not want to do what is necessary.
Spiritual life is a practice, or activity, therefore every religion gives certain rules, by following which a person can purify himself and improve. In the Krishna Consciousness movement there are also rules of cleanliness and behavior, certain requirements that a person who wants to get initiation must follow. Restrictions and limitations hold us back from sinful activity and maintain a good attitude of people towards Krishna Consciousness.
Beyond Morality
Having got rid of the need for sinful activity and acquired a taste for devotional service, proper need to follow restrictions and rules falls away. All rules and regulations are meant for loving God. However, when a person fully surrenders to God, ordinary moral norms no longer apply to him.
Madhavendra Puri says:
"All glories to my prayers, which I chant three times a day. All glories to you, o bathers. O demigods! O forefathers! Forgive me for not being able to offer you respects. Wherever I may be, I always remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Krishna], the enemy of Kamsa, and thus I get rid of the burden of sins. I think that is enough for me."
Limitations of Morality
Moral norms are intended for the benefit of society, so they must be applied also with intelligence, since sometimes situations may arise where moral behavior will only harm people and serve not good, but evil.
Story about ascetic Koshikatha
Ascetic Koshikatha made a vow to always speak only the truth. Once innocent people, fleeing from robbers, hid in the forest. When the robbers arrived and asked for the way, Koshikatha, sticking to his vow not to lie, showed where the people hid. The robbers found them and killed them.
For this "truth" Koshikatha went to hell. Krishna explained: there must exist a criterion, according to which a good action can be distinguished from sin. Sometimes blind following of rules causes greater evil.
Many stories in the Mahabharata demonstrate that moral principles must be applied with intelligence. Krishna Himself sometimes tests a devotee. For example, the story when Ashvatthama killed Arjuna's sons. Arjuna had a dilemma: to kill the son of a brahmana (which is forbidden) or to take revenge for the children's murder (which is just). He found an intermediate option: he cut off Ashvatthama's hair and took away the jewel, which for a kshatriya is tantamount to death penalty, but left him alive.
Self-Check Questions
- What does the word ethics mean and what does ethics have in common with Krishna consciousness?
- How should a devotee act when social customs require breaking regulative principles?
- What benefit does a person gain from liberation from all rules and restrictions? Why must a person still limit himself?
- What signs indicate a civilized person?