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[Opinion] Ethics are not enough!

There are many situations when we face dilemma. We rely upon our judgement in such situations to choose our action.

Many people make a choice which they feel is ethical. Following ethics allows us to have clear conscience. It allows us to consider ourselves as a good person. This urge is common to all of us. I would like to discuss that this is not enough criteria for resolving dilemmas. There are are many pitfalls in this.
    
    Ethics vary according to its source. What is ethical for a Hindu might not be ethical for a Christian. What is ethical in a liberal society might be considered unethical for a conservative society. So, its important to understand the source of ethics.

    Ethics are subjective. What we consider as ethical can have personal bias. There is no strict code of conduct for many situations. So it comes down to what we understand as being ethical. Our judgement might be clouded when we are involved emotionally. We might resort to rationalization. Bureaucrats rationalizing corruption is one such example. 

    Social customs are passed on as ethics in the society. They are enforced by education, cultural beliefs. So, what might look ethical could possibly be just a social custom. Unquestioning obedience towards elders in Indian society is one such example.

    Ethics are not absolute. Human understanding of world is constantly evolving. No one could unlock all the mysteries of the world. As our understanding expands, ethics will change. Slavery, Untouchability, oppression of women are few such examples. Whoever followed these believed their actions were ethically correct. So, we need to question and understand the rules that are passed upon as ethics.

   Considering all these, its easy to see how rational thinking is as important as ethics if not more. Judgement should be based on facts, logic and reasoning to escape these pitfalls. This will need us to put more effort, fight some battles and throw ourselves out of our comfort zone. Having no ethics is bad. Following ethics blindly without understanding is equally worse.
   
    Humans are emotional beings. We need to feel good about ourselves and we want to have peace of mind as soon as possible. This urge comes in the way of being rational. So, we need to practice being rational to habituate it. Rationality is tough. But its rewarding. It will expand our understanding of the world.

Next time when you are facing a dilemma, do not make a choice just because it feels good. 

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