I have long thought about moral, scrupulous, and ethical behavior as it relates to the human animal. I claim no profound thoughts or high-ground in this matter. Yet in the stream of human shared consciousness I witness I am often troubled by what we say as opposed to what we do. I think of the ISO 9000 (European Union business standards) admonition to say what you do and do what you say. So, I present the following stream of my thoughts in an attempt to solicit others’ views. Does anybody give a damn?
Like any well trained science major I begin with research (in the form of Merriam Webster):
Moral = Conforming to a standard/accepted notions of what is right and wrong, ethical, virtuous, or noble.
Scruple = An ethical consideration or principle that inhibits action.
Ethic = Discipline, theory, or system dealing with what is good or bad, or moral value.
Having found great circularity and therefore a certain ambiguity in the above I decided to employ Occam’s razor in creating a new word (early incarnations of this new word; ethaluple and scrumoric).
MORSCRUETH (n) (pron. more-screw-ith), That which exhibits behavior and/or speech that advocates that which is moral, srupulous, and ethical. To espouse in behavior and/or speech that which is not only nonmalificent in terms of human specific values regarding human to environment (includes human to human) interactions but is also good in this context. (pl. morscrueths, adj. morscruethal)
Man can you feel the universal reification already beginning to take place?
OK, now for some questions. And please constant readers, if you too think about these things, have some morscrueths and either add your responses or some new questions. I sometimes feel all alone in this universe and sure would appreciate seeing the thoughts others have on these matters. Have I, for example, missed some of our institutions that should also be scrutinized? Thank-You.
- Are men/women innately morscruethal?
- Technology seems to have made some small measure of progress in the last few thousand years. Is the nature of man/woman, in terms of morscruethal issues, any different than it was say 2, 4, or 6 thousand years ago? Have we made gains in this area?
- Is our Government (USA) morscruethal?
- Is American capitalism morscruethal?
- Are modern corporate entities morscruethal?
- Does conforming to APA ethical guidelines make you more morscruethal in your professional and/or private activities?
- Are those trained /practicing in the field of psychology more morscruethal than the general population? Is there a difference between the disciplines in this field?
- If our brand of capitalism, our corporations, or our government are immorscruethal (the opposite of morscruethal) or perhaps amorscruethal (bereft of morscruethals), then is it possible to serve the interests/objectives of these entities and still lay claim to personal standards of morscruethality?
Quote from unidentified blues’ song, “If the washin don’t get ya the rinsin sho will.”
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Events often seem to suggest a chasm between what we say and what we do. In classroom discussions of comparative genocide students wonder whether humanity has progressed. Indeed is it progress if we now know enough to condemn an action, even if we fail to act upon that condemnation. Consider since the ratification of the Genocide Treaty that states and diplomats now often try to label mass killings as anything but genocide so as to avoid the international responsibility to respond. Consequently we witness the development of the concept of ethnic cleansing and claims of historic tribal animosities. Equally interesting as we consider morscruethal behaviors or lip service is the fact many states seek to label themselves democratic even if they fall short of accepted tests of democratic consolidation. Additionally states include in constitutions human rights which they aspire to achieve. Yet, at the same time there are some states and ideological movements which reject the notion of any universal notion of rights, or even of the existence of human rights. Which is preferable: to claim we support certain ethical behaviors but to act with disregard to the standard when self interest demands, or to argue an amorscruethal approach is preferable and indeed moral and ethical to the extent the pursuit of self interest my advance civilization while being true to oneself?
Yes Joan, I find your question most pointed. Is it more honest and realistic to join the social Darwinists, or to hold pretense and delusion in claiming the morscruethality of our tribe/nation state? As individuals, who among us does not have a price that is sufficient to soothe our morscreuthal conscience. Though not a “believer” I sometimes think the Catholic view of original sin makes some sense. That is to say that we are born steeped in sin with little or no recourse within this ephemeral and mortal coil. Pretty grim huh? Unfortunately, I have many questions and few answers. Thank-you Joan for your thoughtful response and contribution.
Damn, that sound’s so easy if you think about it.
Hi Birgit-Bierig. Not sure what you refer to as easy, but thanks for joining in.