Understanding of ethics and ethical understanding of life event or life stage and of the ceremony that celebrates it - Essay Example

Understanding of ethics, and ethical understanding of life event or life stage and of the ceremony that celebrates it and Section # of course> This article highlights the concept of ethics in its simplest possible form. Ethics is not based on religion, intuition, subjectivity or objectivity, it's a collection of rights and wrongs which are based on logical reasoning and thought processes. It then details the ethical understanding of life stages. These life stages are critical and comprise birth, marriage, transformation from childhood into adulthood as well as death. Lastly the understanding is related to the celebration of these life stages. Understanding of ethics, and ethical understanding of life event or life stage and of the ceremony that celebrates it. Understanding of Ethics An understanding of ethics advocates that we be first clear on what ethics is not. Many people tend to equate ethics with feelings. They believe that being ethical is like following one's feelings. This is however clearly not true because feelings frequently deviate from what is right. On the other hand ethics should not even be identified with religion. It is true that most religions do preach ethics in the purest form. Many believe in supernaturalism i.e good is what god has ordained. However, we must understand that ethics and observation of moral codes of behaviour are as much a duty of a religious person as that of an atheist or someone who is not that religious for that matter. Therefore ethics is clearly not a factor of religion. Ethics is also not the same as following the law. It is true that more often than not laws regulate ethical conduct in a society. However, laws like feelings can deviate from being right. Lastly, ethics is not about doing whatever the society accepts. According to the theory of cultural relativism good is equivalent to what is acceptable in the society. Cultural relativism exhorts that ethics is not about objectivity and that they vary from place to place and culture to culture. This is partly correct. However; socially approved is not always good for the following reasons. Standards of behaviour in societies frequently deviate from what the right thing to do is. This is how it was the norm in the Arab world around the 14th century to bury all the female born alive. Although it was by no means an ethical thing to dowhen we look at it logically through the eyes of reason. Even though cultural relativists may not agree with this statement and argue that female infanticide was the right thing to do in the context of the Arab culture. It was the accepted norm in the society and few dared to challenge it. In addition to this the lack of social consensus on many issues prevents societal acceptability to become an ethical standard. Therefore it is futile to assume that any of the above mentioned sources of ethics can dictate ethical standards. Another approach to determining ethical standards is that of consequentialism. This theory asserts that an action is good or bad because its results are good or bad. Thereby the morality of a certain behaviour or conduct is determined by its results. More simply put the ends justify the means. Consequentialists would consider Robin Hood to be ethical because he was stealing for a good cause. However, there is a catch in this theory. It completely disregards means. Although I believe that means are as important as the ends. If you are collecting money through unfair means and giving it for charity, you are by no means being ethical because your means are wrong. Ethical behaviour should comprise both the right means and the right ends. Only then can conduct be classified as truly ethical and right.( Gensler.H, 1998) Other than this many believe that intuition is the perfect judge of right and wrong. Most moral judgements can be made by relying on one's intuition and that there are certain objective moral truths which are universally acceptable. The basic moral truths are thereby though to be evident to the mature mind. However, just like relying on feelings for ethical behaviour is a risk, so is relying on intuition. Our gut feelings may not always lead us to do the right thing and sometimes we can also influence our intuitions to achieve certain objectives. I agree with deontology a lot more than other ethical theories. This is because deontology focuses on the rightness and wrongness of actions themselves and not on their consequences. It is sometimes described as "duty"- or "obligation"-based ethics, because deontologists believe that ethical rules "bind you to your duty" I believe that ethics therefore refers to well grounded criterions between right and wrong. These criterions clearly identify and delineate what humans ought to do, rights, obligations, virtues and vice and fairness. Ethics for example tell you the difference between right and wrong behaviour, that it is wrong to steal and right to buy. It sets out limits to people's behaviour, acts in which people should not indulge; such as rape, murder and bribery. It enlightens humans on virtues; certain behaviours that one must practice in order to bring goodness in this world and to be good themselves. These include being good to the old, distributing wealth to the needy and not littering. Ethical standards relate to life, right to freedom from being injured or punished for no reason and right to privacy that everyone deserves. These standards are adequate for serving as ethical benchmarks because they are well grounded in reason in reasons and are consistent. 'Ethics also means, then, the continuous effort of studying our own moral beliefs and our moral conduct, and striving to ensure that we, and the institutions we help to shape, live up to standards that are reasonable and solidly-based.'(Driver.J, 2006) Philosophy has a goal of teaching us to how to live. Therefore we must understand that ethics is a branch of philosophy and is considered a normative science because it is concerned with the norms of human conduct. 'Philosophy shapes and constructs the soul, arranges life, governs conduct, shows what is to be done and what omitted, sits at the helm and direct our course as we waver amidst uncertainities.' (Cottingham.J, 1998) Although it differs from other sciences such as physical science and empirical sciences, it is still based on logical reasoning like the other sciences. Ethical principles are useful for sorting out the good and bad facets within complex human interactions. This is the reason why ethical principles have been at the heart of intellectual thought and thereby an important consideration and matter of debate for Greek philosophers in particular. While Plato stressed that doing bad resulted from being ignorant and that knowing good was doing good. That there is an element of rationality and usefulness in doing good as compared to doing bad. Socrates on the other hand pointed out that the determination of good and bad behaviour depended entirely on integrity of the thought process involved. Kant argued that 'system-wide consistency was a logical requirement of ethics, stating that ethics begins with the rejection of non-universalizable principles, and that any adopted ethical principle must be a desirable universal law to be applied by everybody'(Cottingham.J, 1998) Aristotle asserted that ethical behaviour is logical behaviour and it is useful because it is logical. Lastly, Pareto was of the opinion that a win-win relationship can be translated in philosophical terms as a situation where one is better-off, most are well-off and no-one is worse-off. (Cottingham.J, 1998) Ethical understanding of life event or life stage Marriage is the building block of a society. It is a building block from which emerges a family, a society and then a nation. Marriage when seen from an ethical point of view seems to be clearly fulfilling various roles and responsibilities. Essentially marriage meets the need of mutual dependence. It fulfills the feeling that someone is always there for you an that you can count on him/her for everything in the world. It makes you feel secure and safe. Secondly marriage seeks to promote an aura of understanding. That you will do whatever you can to understand you partner and your partner will endeavour to do the same. Such an understanding is not something any of us are born with, neither is it something that we acquire immediately after we have pledged 'till death do us part!' It is a factor that develops with time in the face of complex human interactions. It is a highly difficult thing to achieve and it warrants the deepest level of understanding of each others ideals, preferences and modes of behaviour. Lastly, a good marriage is characterized by the mutual feeling that one is concerned about their spouse. It is not an expression or an act but rather an attitude or an atmosphere. This concern is an affection, an emotional identification that gives one the feeling that they are cared for and loved. It is not just sexual passion or lust for which marriage is known today. It is a long term commitment, embracing of each other's needs , honesty and loyalty that marriage is all about. The biggest implication of marriage is family. One of the deepest needs of people in marriage is to have children and to start a family. Another implication of marriage is the contribution that it makes to the work in which one is engaged in. The maturity that one gains through marriage should augment one's learning at work and seek to develop and hone their skills. This is the reason why a good marriage provides a good approach to solving ethical dilemmas and dealing with them. It therefore makes people feel more secure and sound. This is therefore my ethical understanding of marriage. Like all dimensions in life the essential meaning corms down to our growth as individuals. "In Australian law, death is generally defined as either irreversible cessation of circulation of blood in the body of the person or irreversible cessation of all function of the brain of the person." (Nussbaum, Martha Craven, 1987/1989) An ethical understanding of death entails an understanding of the meaning of life. Death is the end of life. It is a culmination of one's efforts, their endeavours in this world. It is seen as a natural phenomena and something that is not be brought about. Therefore sucide i.e taking one's life and euthanasia i.e the act of mercy killing of patients who have little or no hope to live is largely condemned and unacceptable. Death is viewed as being somber and grave. It is when people part with their loved ones and the soul parts from the body on the instruction of God. Death is often hidden, sanitized and orderly. It specifies a moment of no return. It signifies a moment when one leaves this world for good. The parting is usually heart wrenching and painful. Care must be taken so as to not disturb the dead by howling and loud noises. It should not be put to pain after death and care should be taken that the body is kept in the best condition and circumstances possible. Understanding of and response to the preparation for and conduct of the ceremony Coming of age ceremonies are celebrated in various forms all over the globe. Some of the most dramatic ones are common occurrences in Africa where on completing of certain criteria the transformation of humans from children to adults is celebrated publicly, amidst much fanfare. Coming of age rites are one subset of rites of passage. Rites of Passage is a term coined by Van Gennep. It is defined as 'rite which accompanies any change in social state, age, place, or life cycle stage, such as birth, puberty, marriage, or death'. In other words it can also be described as 'the processes by which a creature moves from one state, level, or role to another. This process is usually psychologically, physically and spiritually intense. Many Rites of Passage, such as human birth, adulthood status, and death have become ritualistically celebrated and are experienced in various ways depending on the culture.' These rites of passage have three components namely; 1. Separation from the familiar 2. Transition from old state to new state 3. Reintegration into original social structure The first stage separation has been described as the stage which separates the initiates from his/her role in the community. The separation can be physical, emotional etc. Then follows a period of transition which can last from days to month depending on local community practices and culture. This is when some initiates may experience death and rebirth symbolized by practices such as circumcision, body decoration or moderate weight gain which marks health and well-being. This phase has been desciribed as being between a former role and future status. This is where the transformation occurs and the initiate is in the stage of becoming what he/she is all set to become. This period represents cultural norms, challenges, and promotes skills that the initiate will need in his new role in the community. The last and final stage is reincorporation whereby the initiate is ready to confront and take on responsibilities associated with being an adult. Therefore there is a joyous celebration, festivities and merry making as well as recognition of the initiates new found status and position by his relatives and friends at the culmination of it all. It has been stressed that the rites are an important component, essential for becoming a healthy and well-balanced individual. When we speak specifically in reference to coming of age ceremonies, these are practices designed to build character, design, forge friendships and alliances and encourage adult behaviour among the children who undergo this training. As mentioned earlier growing up rituals are somehow stronger, more potent and powerful in Africa and have been looked upon with great interest by researchers and audiences. The Bassari, a West African ethnic group in Senegal consistently hold these ceremonies for their children reaching into adulthood. The Bassari boys are made to endure and perform a month long of challenges and tasks. The initiates perform these tasks as small peer groups. They live in the wilderness and complete many tasks such as hunting and enduring painful physical challenges. After these tasks are completed a day is chosen by the elders of the community when these children are brought back to the village and recognized as adults in an elaborate ceremony. The former role of the child has now died and he emerges as an adult with clearly set out responsibilities. (Gennep.V.A., 2004) The community therefore helps in providing an opportunity to the initiate to adopt a new role successfully through events like celebration. Besides welcoming the initiates back the community is instrumental in exerting pressure on the initiate to adopt and practice the new role. It does this by expressing social constraints and expectations. Therefore the knowledge of the knowledge of the initiates and the social pressure of the community seek to ensure that the transformation to the new role is successful. (Dunne, Joseph,1993) As mentioned earlier death is a somber event. People part with their loved ones and are deeply aggrieved. Funerals therefore must be a depiction of an atmosphere of pain, grief and loss of loved ones. However, there must not be an overzealous display of emotion and there should be controlled sadness. Care must be taken that all elements of the funeral service are coordinated to ensure a demure and mournful outlook. There must be immense sensitivity to the event. Since the dead should not be given any more pain, care should be taken that all speeches and obituaries praise the dead and remember him in the highest words of praise possible. The dead body should be respected and after controlled viewing by friends and loved ones be disposed off in the most appropriate manner. This is usually done according to religious practices. Hindus burn their dead while Christians and Muslims bury them. The colour of mourning is again culture and religion specific. In the subcontinent white is the colour of mourning while in the western world black is the relevant colour. On the other hand weddings are also be treated as a very serious matter. It must be kept in mind that wedding ceremonies are very special events for the bride, groom and their families. Most cultures exhort for marriage only once in a person's life time thereby the importance of the event in one's life can be judged. Since marriages tend to promote an aura of safety and security, weddings should be used to depict just that. They should be peaceful events in which the married couple should be allowed to experience each other companies. They should be given a platform to enjoy the auspicious occasion with their friends and loved ones. It should have some special element that is unique to the soon to be married couple to make it special for them. Weddings should have an element of spirituality because most people believe in taking blessings for their wedding which would make it last longer and lead to better understanding, respect and trust. Again the colours specific to various culture must be kept in mind and duly adhered to. Weddings must also adhere to any special requests on part of the couple as this is their special day. All efforts must therefore be undertaken to ensure that coordination is at its best and there is cooperation with the other organizers of the event. In addition to this the rituals, laws associated with the religion of the couple must be kept in mind before organizing a marriage ceremony. The date of the supposed union is also to be determined in accordance with the couple's religious and cultural practices whereas Hindus seek to use holy scriptures and books to determine a date for marriage; jews tend to hold their weddings on any day other than the Sabbath day with Sunday being a popular favourite. (Hepburn, R.W.1980/1984) Conclusion We can see that ethics has not been defined as a function of religion, acceptable norms/objectivity or even intuition and feelings. Ethics has been pointed out to be composed of criteria between right and wrong grounded in rational thinking and logical reasoning. An ethical understanding of various life stages such as marriage and death reveals that marriage is a cornerstone of the society often providing a sense of security, feeling of being cared and loved to individuals. It is therefore an important event for people and should be planned with great care and attention. Going the extra mile to make it special for the couple. Death on the other hand is a somber event whereby the soul parts from the body and one leaves the world for good. It leaves others to grieve after you and creates an atmosphere of sorrow and pain. Therefore the funeral ceremony deserves a lot of respect and dignified treatment. The corpse must not be put to any pain and must be kept in the best conditions possible. The funeral arrangements must be meticulous with special regard to the sensitivity of the issue. Special care must be taken of close relative and friends of the deceased and the deceased must be remembered in good words. The rites of passage theory explains how ceremonies must be put together to achieve their purpose. In short they should comprise three stages; separation from the familiar, transition and reintegration into the society in the new role. Bibliography 1. Gensler.H.(1998). Ethics a Contemporary Introduction. Routledge 2. Driver.J . (2006). Ethics the Fundamentals. Blackwell Publishing Cottingham.J.(1998). Philosophy and the Good Life: Reason and the Passions in Greek, Cartesian .Cambridge University Press Gennep.V.A.( 2004). The Rites Of Passage. Routledge Nussbaum, Martha Craven (1987/1989) "Finely Aware and Richly Responsible"; Literature and the Moral Imagination" pp 111-134 in Stanley G. Clarke and Evan Simpson (ed.s) (1989) Ethical Theory, Robert B Louden ( ser.ed) State University of New York Press, Albany, 1989 Dunne, Joseph (1993) Chapter 3, "Hannah Arendt's Distinction between Action and Making in the Human Condition".Notre Dame and London. University of Notre Dame Press Hepburn, R.W. (1980/1984) "Wonder, pp 131-154 in his 'Wonder' and other essays Eight Studies in Aesthetics and Neighbouring Fields, Edinburgh. EdinburghUniversity Press Read More