Virtue based ethics are not based on religions, self-serving judgements, or confirmation bias. Instead they are based on trustworthiness and focusing on the greater good for the group. The “greater good” is not determined by motivations to control, demean, or exploit anyone. It is determined by having an open heart which understands that we can make choices to heal society when we choose to align our intent to harmlessness and abundance.
There are no limitations on happiness. There’s no set amount of joy on Earth and once people have exceeded it, then others have to balance it by suffering. That is not how it works, yet we operate as if that is so. What has our operating system been tuned to?
Greed and survivalist mindsets make it difficult to cultivate life-affirming and ethical circumstances and technologies. We are trained to “be the best over everyone” instead of “be your best self”. We are taught to “be the most powerful” instead of “claim your power without attempting to disempower others.” We are told to get the most from the least, which leads to economic imbalances and exploitation. We are taught to destroy or be destroyed, and that the ends justify the means.
All of this affects the type of society that we live in. It permeates the structures we set, the communities we build, and the technologies we develop. We are at a point where it is seen as normal to exploit pain and trauma as a way of life. For example, I’m always put off when I hear people saying it’s smart business to ask, “what are your customers’ pain points?” That sounds very predatory. In my opinion, we could ask “how can I best be of service to my customers?” Word choice matters because it sets the mindset which leads to the structure that is built. We can have structures based on pain, manipulation, and exploitation; or we can have structures based on heartfelt intent to be helpful in whatever ways we feel aligned with.
Respect for life is important. If we do not respect life, then there can’t be any ethics in terms of engaging with and developing technologies and internet protocols. We can talk about privacy, big data, surveillance, search engines, cyberbullying, apps, cookies, IOT, and bots; but none of this is separate from our core beliefs, ideas, and motivations. And if the core is based in selfishness, there’s no point in discussing ethics. Ethics will not be sustained within service-to-self structures or mentalities.
What are virtue based ethics in terms of the scope of this article?
Harmlessness – What are the possible consequences to the people around me and the environment is a question to ask when considering the virtue of harmlessness. Am I willing to be accountable for my actions is the follow up question.
Empathy – The ability to understand someone else from their point of view is empathy. Asking “how would I feel if this were me?” helps to cultivate empathy in situations when one may find this to be a difficult concept.
Compassion- Compassion based on judgements of who deserves it and who does not is not true compassion. True compassion recognizes that authentic concern for others helps eliminate suffering.
Honesty – People cannot make wise decisions if they are being lied to. Stating things truthfully, accurately, and with neutrality builds trust and cultivates ethical circumstances.
Non-Judgement – The more we think we already know, the less we learn. Having an open mind allows us to access more wisdom. In the words of Thich Nhat Hanh, “For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”
Responsibility – Ethics requires that we accept responsibility for how our words and actions impact others. Having energetic responsibility is a key part of acting with ethics.
Autonomy – We release the need to manipulate and coerce others. The need to control and manipulate leads to unethical behavior.
Emotional Balance – If we allow our emotions to overtake us to the point of exploding on others or using addictions to cope with our emotions then we are not in alignment with virtue based ethics.
Unity – Everything is connected. We are all on this Earth together – from people to animals, to plants and other nature. Recognizing interconnectedness helps us to create holistic systems.