Some Bushido with your coffee?

[jsbowden]

Stolen from buzz's Shack of Samurai Swords:


Justice and Morality: You believe in doing what is
right for others and maybe even for yourself.
People would consider you one with good morals,
and someone who would not let them down.


Which Characteristic From the Samurai Code Matches You Best? (You may find out your best trait)
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Ethical. Morality is for religious nuts.

Comments

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

What is the difference between morality and ethics?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Morality draws authority from a god, and is corruptible. Ethics is simply a matter of treating people with dignity and respect.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

But what about moral codes that do not require gods, like Confuscianism and Buddhism?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

s/god/mystical source/

It's very simple. If you're acting on the belief that this will make your next/after/etc-life better, you can be duped.

If your concern is making your little slice of the world you have to deal with now better for yourself AND those around you, you're not generally going to lie, cheat, steal, murder, etc. IE, you're going to be nice, polite, and respectful. There are times when you'll be dealing with people who deserve none of that, but do it anyway, while you're making life suck for them.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

I guess my real question is what code of ethics exists that does not trace itself back to some religious source in some fashion? I mean, I'm not concerned with any afterlife, but I follow the teachings of the "Christ." The here and now is the most important thing we have. Is there some independent ethical system that has no influence from some form or religion or another?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

The difference is that not being an asshole because it's a shitty way to treat people doesn't change. Yes, most moral codes also encode this, but of course, they have this magical property of "except where THESE people are concerned, because they follow the WRONG invisible pink unicorn!" Even if they don't start off that way, they will become so, because religion involves a hierarchy. It gets organized, and then it gets nasty.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

There are systems of organizing people that don't involve hierarchy? That's news to me. Even among informal systems like groups of friends, there's a hierarchy, if unspoken. Some people are more charismatic, or whatever, and some people like to follow and feel like they belong. It's part of being a social animal.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Yes, but your charismatic friend doesn't get to claim holy authority to stop being nice, or to encourage others to stop being nice. He doesn't get to claim the IPU showed up and told him the rules changed when everyone else was asleep.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

Sigh, if only the world were so simple. The leaders of nonreligious groups can be as unscrupulous as any other. People make all sorts of claims for all sorts of reasons to treat others with contempt or unkindness. Yes, it's wrong, but it's impossible to change. The only thing we can do as humans is to behave in the most loving and kind way we can to others, and lead by the example of our kindness.

[silmaril.livejournal.com]

Good point of distinction.

[bigredpaul.livejournal.com]

It's a distinction without a difference.