I expect ethics will be a topic often touched on here so it’s probably time to introduce the term. Dictionary.com defines ethics as a system of moral principles. That begs the question, what are morals? The same source defines morals as - of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical. Missing from those definitions but mentioned in further entries is an important caveat that, to paraphrase, emphasizes the importance of placing ethics and morality in the context of cultural or personal motivation. That’s a very important point. Just because an action is ethical or morally appropriate to you or your culture doesn’t mean it would be embraced elsewhere. The cultural distinction is what I’d like to focus on in this post.

A good example of the importance of cultural consideration would be the clearly opposed cultural treatment of women in the West vs. their treatment in some Middle Eastern nations. To the western world, it is unconscionable to hide women away behind a burka, deny them the right to drive themselves or punish them (often severely) for infractions as minor as shaking a man’s hand or spending time alone in the presence of a man who is not family or husband. Most westerners find these practices objectionable, at the least, and often reprehensible. A devoted Muslim from one of these countries might not give the practice a second thought. For him (or her), it is the norm. For him (or her), it is perfectly moral and ethical behavior. That is the relevance that culture plays and the lesson we should take away is - don’t presume the right to foist your particular ethics on somebody else.

What is interesting, and what you should keep in mind when tackling any ethical quandary, is that one could find themselves very quickly painting themselves into a corner when debating ethics that fit into the mold as described above. For example, as a US citizen, I might find myself inclined to be critical of forcing women to wear burkas. I might stomp my feet and shout my vocal protests about how disrespectful it is and how a woman should be permitted to freely express herself and her body (in which she should feel no shame). I might then suddenly find my own culture under scrutiny when the opposition asks me why prostitution hasn’t been federally legalized in the US or why ALL beaches in the US don’t permit a woman to go topless (a very common practice in many European countries). My illusion of being on the moral high-ground can be very quickly shattered.

The point is, while you may find yourself agreeing or disagreeing with topics we’ll cover here, particularly topics dealing with ethics, remember that you are neither right nor wrong in your own moral and ethical stance. Despite how passionately we may hold to our ethics, you and I are, at all times, simply appropriately or inappropriately biased towards the commonly held ethical law and guidance of our particular race, religion, upbringing or culture.