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 Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up Idealists (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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

Other blog posts in this series:
Reason and Ideals
Intentions
Ethics Environments
Self-Interest
The Categorical Imperative and Exceptionalism
Independent Ethics Enforcement
Confidential Information

Robert Wechsler
Director of Research-Retired, City Ethics

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