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| Mencius |
Q1.
I would like to think being morally good is the natural default but I am not certain. Children for example need to be taught right from wrong. This could vary from family to family depending on personal and religious views for example. We do have laws that outline right from wrong for us and social norms. I felt as though I was constantly taming and training my son's free soul.
Also, I had to decide if I thought a behaviour was ok or not and if not then the dreaded consequence had to be implemented. I often questioned how I made my decision and its was often based on what other people would think.
From The Mom Song "Saying please and thank-you will makes you welcome everywhere you roam..."'
Click Here to Listen to "The Mom Song" sung by Anita Renfroe to The William Tell Overture
I joke that it was a fear of "Juvie" (Juvenile Delinquent Centre) that kept me honest. Fear of punishment.
Everything is against the law in BC for our own safety.
It also depends on if we are talking about relationships between people versus activist who fight against government policies that seem wrong ie: clear cutting ancient forests.
Often I feel the government is completely immoral according to what I believe is moral.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morality
Morality (from the Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behaviour") is the differentiation of intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good (or right) and those that are bad (or wrong). A moral code is a system of morality (according to a particular philosophy, religion, culture, etc.) and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code. Morality may also be specifically synonymous with "goodness" or "rightness." Immorality is the active opposition to morality (i.e. opposition to that which is good or right), while amorality is variously defined as an unawareness of, indifference toward, or disbelief in any set of moral standards or principles.[1][2][3][4] An example of a moral code is the Golden Rule which states that, "One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself."[5]
The Golden Rule is mentioned in Mencius on page 182 #4
"Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence."
Did he invent this phrase?
page 158
One of my favourite lines is " he goes back in time and communes with the ancients." ...
"looking for friends in history."
Click Here to Listen to "Justified and Ancient" by The KLF
Q2
As a member of the GLS cohort do I have it within me to become wise and benevolent? Yes!
Referring to pages 83, 119 #04, 130, 200 #31, 79, 125 and 191.
"Not to tire of learning is wisdom"
We could be wise if we watch over our character (p.125)
and perhaps it depends on how we are taught (p. 191 # 40)
&
p. 185
teachers delight is having talented students
Also, because it is not for profit($) per se.
Q3
Interesting discussion in class about governments who look after the weak members as being benevolent/moral.
My experience in Germany in 1995-2002 was that there was a huge safety net and a certain quality of life was the volks (people) right. By paying people well, and having a shorter work week (35 hours) and long holidays (up to six weeks) the people work hard and value the work ethic because they are treated fairly.
There was a saying that the 'French work so they can eat well and the Germans eat well so they can work."
Even people on social assistance were guaranteed a middle class standard of living. I didn't feel that there were any have nots. Health care and education and work training was also readily available. This of course was because the East and West were competing to be a better system than the other and now that communism/socialism is gone and capitalism won it may all go to hell in a hand basket.
Q4
Empathy for me is care, concern and compassion. You may not feel what the person feels but you express an emotion of comfort towards their pain.
Sympathy is sharing the feeling of pain, grief and loss. Primarily we express sympathy when someone dies. Chances are we are experiencing the grief and we sympathise with the family who have lost a loved one.
The first thing that came to mind when asked what motivated the individual at the well was "humanness"
page 82 #6
Mencius says that" No man is devoid of a heart sensitive to the suffering of others."
Interesting that we don't know if the child was saved we only know that the witness was moved to compassion. Would this lead naturally to action?
Mencius speaks of being devoid of the heart of compassion, shame, courtesy, modesty, right and wrong is not human.
Q5
The first thing that came to mind when asked what the implications are for government on people who accept their designated roles versus choosing roles was
complacency and surrender to fate versus expectation of entitlement to choice.
In class it was determined that people who want to achieve, have mobility, choice etc.. are easier to govern. You can dangle the carrot of desire to motivate the people to work and produce. Strive for more.
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