Lesson No.4 On Human Behaviour in Ethics
Lesson No.4 On Human Behaviour in Ethics
IN ETHICS
LESSON NO.4
HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
1. NATURE
NEUROSCIENCE IS FINDING THE BRAIN STRUCTURES AND
FUNCTIONING THAT MAKE FOR THE "ETHICAL BRAIN". IN
ARISTOTLE’S ZOON POLITIKON, MAN IS A SOCIAL ANIMAL, AND AS
SUCH, HE HAS EVOLVED IN PART DUE TO HIS CAPACITY TO BE TO
OTHERS, AND HAVE EMPATHY AND SYMPATHY THAT SERVE AS THE
BASES FOR BASIC RULES OF CONDUCT NEEDED TO LIVE
HARMONIOUSLY WITH OTHERS. MORALITY IS A RESULT OF
FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
1. NATURE
MARC D. HAUSER, A HARVARD BIOLOGIST, HOLDS THAT MAN IS
BORN WITH A MORAL GRAMMAR WIRED INTO HIS NEURAL
CIRCUITS AS A PRODUCT OF EVOLUTION. THIS SYSTEM IN THE
BRAIN GENERATES MORAL JUDGMENTS. THIS WAS NEEDED IN
PART BECAUSE OFTEN QUICK DECISIONS MUST BE MADE IN
SITUATIONS WHERE LIFE IS THREATENED. IN SUCH
PREDICAMENTS, THERE IS NO TIME FOR ACCESSING THE
FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
1. NATURE
MOST PEOPLE APPEAR TO BE UNAWARE OF THIS DEEP MORAL
PROCESSING BECAUSE THE LEFT HEMISPHERE OF THE BRAIN HAS
BEEN ADEPT AT PRODUCING INTERPRETATIONS OF EVENTS AND
INFORMATION AND DOING SO RAPIDLY THUS GENERATING WHAT
MAY BE ACCEPTED AS RATIONALIZATIONS FOR THE DECISION OR
IMPULSE AND RESPONSE. MORALITY MAY BE ROOTED DEEP IN THE
EVOLVED WORKINGS OF HUMAN BRAIN.
EXAMPLE ON NATURE IN ETHICS
2. NURTURE
BESIDES NATURE, NURTURE US ALSO PLAYS A BIG PART
IN FORMING HUMAN BEHAVIOR. MAN ACQUIRES MORAL
PRECEPTS FROM A NUMBER OF EXTERNAL FACTORS. MAN
BECOMES MORAL FROM HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH FAMILY,
FRIENDS, AND OTHER SOCIAL STRUCTURES AND
INSTITUTIONS WHICH HE BELONGS IN, LIKE CULTURE,
EXAMPLE ON NURTURE IN ETHICS
3. CULTURE
MORALITY PROMOTES INDIVIDUAL AND
COLLECTIVE GOODNESS, AND MAN’S SENSE OF
WRONG AND RIGHT MAY STEM UP FROM HIS
CULTURAL BELIEFS. CULTURE MAY AFFECT OUR
MORAL DECISIONS AND DISPOSITIONS. HOW WE
VIEW AND TREAT PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, CAN BE
FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
3. CULTURE
HOWEVER, IF WE CONSIDER CULTURAL BELIEFS AND
PRACTICES THAT MILITATE AGAINST ETHICAL VALUES, IT
BECOMES QUITE EVIDENT THAT CULTURE ALONE COULD
NEVER BE THE ARBITER OF WHAT IS ETHICAL. WE NOW
TAKE A DIM VIEW OF PEOPLE WHO, IN THE PAST,
APPEALED TO THEIR CULTURE TO JUSTIFY SLAVERY, OR
FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
3. CULTURE
IN SOME CULTURES, IN PARTS OF NORTHERN AND WEST
AFRICA, FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (CUTTING) IS
STILL PREVALENT. CUSTOMARILY, AN APPEAL IS MADE TO
CULTURE TO JUSTIFY THIS CRUEL AND INHUMANE
PRACTICE, THUS AFFIRMING MALE SUPERIORITY OVER
WOMEN. AND THERE ARE SOME WHO JUSTIFY TOLERANCE
OF CORRUPTION BECAUSE THEIR CULTURE REQUIRES
EXAMPLE ON CULTURE IN ETHICS
4. RELIGION
THE CONCEPTS OF MORALITY AND RELIGIOSITY
HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH EACH OTHER IN A
MANNER THAT THESE TWO CO-EXIST AND THEY
ARE OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE FOR A HUMAN
PERSON’S EVENTUAL IDEAL CHARACTER.
FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR
4. RELIGION
ACCORDINGLY, MORAL PHILOSOPHY TEACHES THAT A PERSON’S
MORAL FOUNDATION CAN BE LINKED TO HIS SPIRITUAL
FOUNDATION AND VICE VERSA AS ONE OF RELIGIONS’ THRUSTS IS
CONSTRUCT THE MORAL FIBBERS NECESSARY FOR MAN’S ETHICAL
EXISTENCE. A HUMAN PERSON’S SPIRITUALITY AND MORALITY ARE
SUBSTANTIAL PARTS OF HIS NATURE THAT HE HAS TO LEARN,
NOURISH AND VALUE THEM SO THAT HE MAY DEVELOP INTO AN
EXAMPLE ON RELIGION IN ETHICS