Making Sense of Ethics

The logic and simplicity of the ethics described in this paper has escaped the understanding of philosophers from Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and numerous others. This paper describes a unique, unified theory of normative ethics, the type of ethics that tells us "what we ought to do" and "how we ought to act," morally speaking in terms that are easily understood, and aligned with our human nature. My perennially inquisitive mind has always questioned the foundations of authority when statements of "how we ought to act" are declared... and that began very early in my childhood. The next question always followed, "What basis do you have for making such a declarative command to me?" Such judgmental commands never made sense to me. What were their logic? What gives you the moral authority to make them?

Seven Innate Human Values

The Basis for Consistent Ethical Decision-Making

This subject of this paper can be adapted very easily to fit the context of political campaigns. Values and Ethics are primary to the function of society, particularly a democratic society. The author was asked to present this paper to a 2020 Bernie Sanders Campaign Promo on April 27 with exceptional results. It is totally applicable to disaffected Republicans as well as disaffected Democrats. And totally supports the moral necessity of universal health care.

This paper concerns itself primarily with the values that underlie the survival-decisions that have sustained the survival of our species for over 200,000.

Second, it invites the reader to frame this paper in terms of setting the standards for political candidates in every democratic nation. Consider the following:

* This a very important time in the history and future of democratic nations. Many things are not working well, and some not at all. It seems obvious there needs to be a re-invention of the traditional democratic process and the political process, one that sets the standards of ethical behavior of office holders.

* The ethics that are described in this paper will appeal to all responsible citizens. Why? Because the values that underlie this ethic are the same values that have sustained our species for over 200,000 years. People have a natural affinity for fair play, the common good, and social responsibility to name only a few. In other words, we need candidates who espouse this timeless ethical standard. Citizens will appreciate the stance of candidates who take on “that which is right” to lead their nation.

Employee Capitalism

The motivation for this brief paper comes from the great angst of several billion people in the world who are concerned about the egregious wealth divide. Most well informed individuals are aware that this situation gradually developed over a period of many decades where now the influence of a few thousand people in the world have the capability to create an even greater division of wealth. The traditional economic model that allowed this divide to come into existence is archaic, rigid, and does not satisfy the need for an evolved, organic economic model to keep pace with social change.

Sustainable Civilizations

A General Critical Theory Based on the Innate Values of Homo Sapiens
Several Critical Theories exist under the umbrella of this General Critical Theory that are based on the innate values of Homo sapiens. One of those is a unified theory of human motivation, and another is a unified normative theory of ethics both of which are described in the text. This paper presents a General Critical Theory without arguing for its existence, as it is a natural development of the seven innate values of our species. These values and their characteristics are also described early in the text to help the reader grasp their significance from parenting to the development of ethical Artificial Intelligence programs.