Foundational Principles: Ethics, Justice, and Democratic Governance

Foundational Principles of Ethics and Society

Understanding Wisdom

Wisdom is more than just high-level knowledge; it is the sum of experience. While knowledge and understanding help us to make a living, wisdom helps us to truly live.

The Pursuit of Truth

Truth is the mission to find that natural certainty which humanity always seeks. The very act of searching implies an attempt to answer an indefinite number of "why" questions.

Defining Ethics

Ethics is the science of morality that studies human acts. These are conscious and voluntary human actions.

Ethics vs. Morality: A Deeper Look

Morality dictates that deceiving one's spouse is wrong. Unethical refers to the failure to act according to moral principles. Ethics is a theoretical and practical study of morality. It encompasses a set of values that originate from within an individual, as well as a set of moral standards that come from external influences. Ethics, as a belief system, helps educate one's conscience. First, ethics clarifies good and evil, and then provides the fundamental basis for applying moral acts in real life.

Ethical thought originated with the Greeks, though some principles are rooted in Egyptian religion. Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics explores these concepts across ten books:

• Book 1: Happiness
• Book 2: Virtues and their foundations
• Book 3: Fortitude, temperance, and will
• Book 4: Virtues of the spirit, wealth, and life
• Book 5: Justice and virtues of character
• Book 6: Intellectual virtues
• Book 7: Pleasure and continence
• Book 8: General friendship
• Book 9: Friendship in particular
• Book 10: Conclusions, education, and political legislation

The Code of Hammurabi

The Code of Hammurabi is famously known for the principle of "an eye for an eye," representing retributive justice.

Characteristics of Love

Love is characterized by:

• Generosity
• Openness and attunement with the other
• Sincerity
• Confidence
• Fidelity
• Patience
• Respect
• Understanding
• Imagination
• Availability
• Self-acceptance of the other
• Mutual surrender

The Power of Friendship

Friendship enriches and strengthens individuals. For a couple, it fosters more potent love, making them invincible against adversity.

Understanding Justice

Justice is the virtue that inclines one to give each person what is due to them. Its characteristics include:

• Being disinterested, not selfish
• Immutability; it cannot change
• Being deeply rooted in the heart, influencing those who love it most
• Treating everyone with equality

Without justice, distrust is born.

Justice and the Law

Justice is impartial and intrinsically linked with the law. There is always a potential for danger, not from the law itself, but from its interpreters (the judges). A strict application of the law can sometimes be unfair. The law and reason should guide behavior, with the law serving as a tool. A little pity is sometimes necessary when applying the law. However, if we always pardon delinquents, we risk being unfair to them. Justice does not seek vengeance against the delinquent; it seeks true justice. A good judge knows how to unite equity and justice.

Principles of Social Justice

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Endowed with reason and conscience, they should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Objectives of Social Justice

The primary objectives are a more equitable distribution of wealth and the dignified participation of all in society. The key virtue for achieving social justice is solidarity.

Ten Postulates of Democracy

Democracy is founded upon these principles:

1. All members of a community are eligible to be elected and are electors.
2. Division of powers.
3. Term limits for public offices.
4. Officials should not be re-eligible for the same office.
5. All important questions should be put to a vote.
6. If direct voting is not feasible, a proportional representation system should be used.
7. The entire populace must be consulted on declarations that affect war laws and the majority.
8. Justice should not be solely in the hands of professionals.
9. Military chiefs must be continuously rotated and chosen by the people.
10. Governments must be inclusive, not exclusive.