Ethical Culture

Albert Einstein was a supporter of Ethical Culture. On the seventy-fifth anniversary of the New York Society for Ethical Culture he noted that the idea of Ethical Culture embodied his personal conception of what is most valuable and enduring in religious idealism. Humanity requires such a belief to survive, Einstein argued. He observed, "Without 'ethical culture' there is no salvation for humanity."

Note how the quote has been hijacked, ethical culture became Ethical Culture. 

There is a whole group of ethical movements, with different foundations, just a religions. Figuring out what the foundations of each movement is time consuming, and many never bother to clearly state their metaphysics, epistemology, foundation principals. They talk about the issues but not back to the foundations they are using, so the argument starts in the middle with them. Rand objectivity and Robert MacQuarrie existentialism are "complete philosophies" but one really needs to hunt to piece together their metaphysics and epistemology, those are the basics beliefs and the whys of belief. Oh well. Rand's politics and economics are not usable today, but worked in a one on one lifestyle.

Ethics is one area where religion tried but with the failure of religions to address reality in an educated culture, the ethics rules are being lost. The logic of ethics must be relearned/ learned, and promoted to each new generation. The foundations, the underlying principals, are just not listed anywhere. Without the foundations, some of the statements become shaky, and if there is a marginal case, where does one turn? That is a big problem, for in this life of rapid change, much is marginal.

Education of the next generation is the most important function we old people should promote, that is education in everything but religion and faith based bullshit. Learning religion and faith based stuff keeps people in the dark of reality, and must be unlearned before real progress can be made. That is not to say that there are not some benefits of religion; sense of community, comfort in time of adversity, and perhaps compassion but some religions promote ignorance and control of others, slavery, subjugation, which is not right. When there are two rules that are transgressed, which has higher priority?

It is my contention that the rights of the individual supersede the desires of the culture in logical ethics. We are individuals, and as such, cannot allow the desires of the group to impose restrictions on the private lives of the individual. Consider the abortion case. The state has no right to force there laws on the individual then. Abortion should be between the female and her doctor, and the doctor must be free to treat her however they see fit. I do not need to think abortion is right, but individual are free to do as they please.

Enough.