Should Ecological Laws Guide Human Morality - Essay Example

Should ecological laws guide human morality? Should ecological laws guide human morality? Ecological laws should guide morality. Ecological laws are those unwritten laws that govern our environment. They should govern our morality because they are firm, fix, predictable and sensible and very much applicable today. Some of the ecological laws are already reflective in our present laws and if applied to guide morality, would make our world a better place to live in. Ecological laws may be the laws that govern our environment but their principles are also reflective in our present morality and basic laws. Their principles are also present in morality principles adopted by several great societies in the East. Ecological laws are already present to a certain degree in Buddhists Law of Karma and Confucian morality. Law of Karma states that every action generates “a force of energy that returns to us in like kind . . . what we sow is what we reap” (The Chopra Center 2014). It is also present in Confucian philosophy of Golden rules that we should treat everyone in the same manner that we would like to be treated ourselves (Confucian Philosophy nd). Morality on the other hand is defined as “some codes of conduct put forward by a society” and these rules are central in formulating ethical theories” (2011). It is concerned with doing the right thing regardless of circumstances and expedience. It is enforced through our laws, norms, customs and traditions with the end in view to promote the good and foster harmonious relationships among people and good living. To achieve this, we define and drafted laws and also created the police to enforce them. We built a justice system to institutionalize this sense of morality by punishing those who deviate. On a social scale, we enforce it through our norms, mores and traditions that those who deviate from it are castigated through the social sanctions of reprieve, isolation or other forms of retribution outside of the justice and penal system. Applying the laws that govern our environment to morality is not only applicable but also desirable. To a certain degree, they are already present in our laws and customs as earlier stated because of their efficacy in putting morality in our lives and society. Certain societies inadvertently adopted the ecological laws as contained in Buddhist and Confucian societies because of their applicability in regulating human behavior and desirability as a guide in creating a just and humane society. Ecological laws are applicable and desirable in governing our morality because they are firm, fix, predictable and sensible. It is firm because its law cannot be bent nor negotiated. It cannot also be corrupted. If one will do bad things, they will surely get retribution or be punished. In the environment, if one will throw his or her thrash or pollute the environment, it will surely get back to people sooner or later in several forms such as global warming that will result to excessive weather condition (National Geographic 2007). In the same manner that if this law applies to human morality, it would mean that bad actions will be punished. This law is firm and people cannot negotiate or plead against it which serves as a good deterrence for people to do away with evil knowing that punishment is certain if they do evil. On the other hand, if people will do good, reward is also certain. Just like the environment which will provide us fresh air, serene surrounding and good crops if we are amiable to our surrounding, applying this law to morality will us give us a serene living for the good that we do will also return to us. In certain societies such as in the Orient who follow Confucian principles, this is already integrated in their society. Ecological laws are desirable because they are fixed and therefore cannot be corrupted. It cannot also make mistake. Ecological laws being fixed meant that it is immutable and universal and cannot be bent or interpreted by the folly of men. It cannot be bribed by the rich nor be intimidated by the powerful. It will not distinguish between the rich and the poor, of who is powerful or not nor will it bow to any super power. It will apply its law regardless of race, creed and social station. Being such, this ecological law is probably the most just law of all if applied to human morality. It is not open for interpretation and relativity which had been one of the sources why morals today are corrupted. Ecological laws are simple and therefore easier to become universal. One of its laws is so simple and can even be said to be borne out of common sense which states that bad behavior will surely be punished and vice versa. For example, it commands the golden rule that if we throw your garbage, it will return back to us through floods, that if we pollute the environment with our carbon emission, we will get global warming getting back at us in many ways such as droughts and hurricanes. This law is already reflected in Buddhists Karma that we will reap what we sow and Confucian philosophy’s golden rule (i.e. do unto others and it will be done unto you) making the law predictable and easy to understand. This will also serve as a good deterrence to straighten up their ways to avoid retribution or punishment because of the certainty of punishment. This is a valid mechanism in instituting order and morality in society as Bacaria, a classical philosopher about penal justice stated that certainty of punishment is a good deterrence for people to avoid breaking the law (1986). Having said this, it would mean that applying the ecological laws to morality is ideal because it would induce people to act with morals knowing that deviation from such meant the certainty of punishment. Law of nature is also sensible. It does not make undue punishment nor play favorites. The law punishes the erring and reward the good. The amount of punishment is also commensurate to the offence. We basically make our own reward or punishment depending on our action which is a sensible guide to morality. The law of ecology does not err by meting unfair judgment and it would be wonderful if the same laws will be applied to human morality. The penalty law automatically adjusts to the corresponding offence thereby meting the appropriate punishment without prejudicial consideration making the law just. Ecological laws as applied to morality are not at all punitive. We may be more familiar now with the backlash of the environment in the forms of floods, hurricanes, storms and drought but there are also rewarding aspect to it. If we take care of our environment, we will be rewarded with fresh air, rich flora and fauna and an atmosphere that is pleasant to live with where nature’s produce are abundant. We only suffer its negative effect because our actions were and still are abusive to the environment. In the same vein, if the law of ecology will be applied to morality and our actions were less than the desired, then it would become punitive. But if our actions are moral, then the law of ecology as applied to morality will also be pleasant. It could come in the form of a peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous society which we all aspire and desire. And perhaps when ecological laws are fully applied to morality, people will truly become righteous making our society far better and desirable than what it is today. References Beccaria, C. (1986). On Crimes and Punishments. Henry Paolucci trans., Macmillan, Confucianism_MyLab. (n.d.). Confucianism_MyLab. Retrieved November 3, 2013, from http://www.prenhall.com/mrkit/ch06/Confucianism_MyLab.html Global Warming Effects Information, Global Warming Effects Facts, Climate Change Effects - National Geographic. (n.d.). National Geographic. Retrieved July 30, 2014, from http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects/ The Definition of Morality (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). (n.d.).Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/ The Law of Karma or Cause and Effect. (n.d.). chopra.com. Retrieved July 31, 2014, from http://www.chopra.com/community/online-library/the-seven-spiritual-laws-of-success/the-law-of-karma-or-cause-and-effect Read More