Moral Clarity VIII - Transcending Our Limitations Through Ethics
This is the eighth and last in a series of blog posts inspired by reading Susan Neiman’s book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moral-Clarity-Grown-Up-Idealists-Revised/dp/06911…; target="”_blank”"><i>Moral
Clarity:
A
Guide for Grown-Up Idealists</i></a> (Princeton, 2008), which is itself inspired by the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. What’s wonderful about Kant’s approach to ethics is that it not only
focuses on the role of reason. It also shows how ethics allows us to
transcend our ordinary limitations. Kant considered the two things that
most create awe and wonder to be the heavens above and each
individual’s ethics within.<br>
<br>
There is nothing transcendent in advocating or aiding our
self-interests. Any animal can do that. We have the ability to rise
above our self-interests, and to put ourselves in others’ shoes, which
is the basis of morality.<br>
<br>
Religion seeks to satisfy our longing for transcendence of our
limitations, and ethics is an important part of religion. But ethics is
not dependent on religion. By itself, it allows us to transcend our
self-interests.<br>
<br>
Sometimes religion itself is perverted by self-interests. Its ideals can
be twisted into the ancient value of “Help your friends and hurt your
enemies.” As Susan Neiman writes, “if our need for transcendence isn't
satisfied by the right kind of ideals, we may turn to the wrong ones.”<br>
<br>
Transcending our limitations through ethics gives us a feeling of
freedom in a spiritual sense, much as transcending our limitations
through, say, flying or skiing, does in a physical sense.<br>
<br>
Other blog posts in this series:<br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/1087" target="”_blank”">Reason
and Ideals</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/moral-clarity-ii-intentions" target="”_blank”">Intentions</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/moral-clarity-iii-ethics-environments…; target="”_blank”">Ethics Environments</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/content/moral-clarity-iv-self-interest" target="”_blank”">Self-Interest</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/1095">The Categorical Imperative and Exceptionalism</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/1096">Independent Ethics Enforcement</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cityethics.org/node/1100">Confidential Information</a><br>
<br>
Robert Wechsler<br>
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics<br>
<br>
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