The Effect of Ethics from the Classical World on our current Western Culture.

Hundreds of years ago, classic civilizations shaped the path for our modern world in terms of ethics through culture, mythology, science, philosophy, religion, and prosperity in economics, and politics.

Ethics and morality are pretty much the same thing, and ethics are equivalent to moral philosophy. This is the philosophical study of moral values & rules such as the golden mean, virtue, right versus wrong, and other fundamental issues of practical decision making. Ethics are a set of principles governing morality and acceptable behaviour like personal behaviour, corporate behaviour, behaviour towards society, and behaviour towards the environment.
Moral philosophy (ethics) is used to determine what values we hold, or "what behaviour is “ethical”?". It is used around the world because it is, and has always been, part of our human history. Ethics is determined by everyday life through the choices we make as people and it originated when humans started to reflect on best way to live.

We see ethics through myths that are still vital in some societies and cultures today. Myths help humans examine how man copes with the physical, social, religious, and political environment. Just like characters from a book, we can learn important lessons and values in order to best live our life. We see these in stories like Narcissus & Echo, Midas, Daedlus & Icarus, Pandora, and The Bacchae. Myths provide mankind with gallery of models (positive & negative) and revealed eternal truths about the nature of man and our personal life quests. For example, we can see this from the Mycenaean’s who valued leadership and Heroism.

For the Minoans, Religion a big part of culture and they Gave women advanced rights and political power. During the Archaic period, with the beginning of the Phalanx formation, we see that there is a sense of community even in their military. From this we see that community had a profound impact on how the people functioned together in their society and what their culture truly valued. Alexander the Great “created” cultural exchange by a vast empire and the Romans valued women, who had prominent role in society (seen in their art).

Through science, our culture and technological improvements can all be the effect of the ancient worlds' society and advancements. Gaelin, the philosopher and doctor, “founded” physiotherapy, discovered nervous system, was skilled with modern surgical practices & tools, and introduced cosmetic surgery. Pythagoras investigated causes and reasons of nature, and believed that “Imbalance affected health and character”. Aristotle linked medicine with biology, botany, anatomy, and founded logic, physics, political sci, economics, psychology, meta-physics, and meteorology. It is because of people from the classical world like this that we have technological advancements that bring ethics into question.

Philosophers sought rational explanations of phenomena for the world. Socrates is and example or a moral philosopher. He asked questions like “How shall we live?”, “What is good?”, “What is truth?”, “What is just?”; and the answeres to these questions bring happiness in life. He was the first cosmopolitan. Aristotle is said to have created ethics by asking things like “What is existence?” and “What does it mean?”. The cynic, Diogenes said that “all that matters are true vs bad values” whereas skeptics don’t believe in truth. The believed that “persuasion, not truth, is better”. At the time, Athens centre of intellectual world and from this, the ideas of thinking spread to other parts of the world. Academic and philosophical conflict lead to the birth of debate (examples: Heraclitus & Paramenides, Zeno).

Political ethics involve dike/justice which provide a certain climate for citizens to abide by. This formation allowed for the ideals of justice to be put in practice, which in turn layed the groundwork for individualism and democracy. This began the “first among equals” concept. An example of debate regarding this was the war between the Greeks and the Persians (5th cent.). This war was a war of ideas such as freedom vs slavery. These are some ideals that rule our lives today. Going along with this, Salan worked with Athens’ existing laws and created new ones to benefit the people of the society (Reforms).

Overall, it can be said that classic civilizations shaped path for our modern world. However, I have to say that this is truly a personal opinion.

"In a sense, civilization as a way of life is still in the experimental phase. We do not know whether it will be as successful in the long run as the hunting and gathering existence that sustained our ancestors for most of human history." - The Ancient Mediterranean World (Pg 3)

Sources:
- Classic Civilizations notes & resources from class
- Conser, James A. Law Enforcement in the United States. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett, 2005. Print.
- "ethics." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 02 May. 2010 .
- "Ethics in the Workplace Improved During the Recession, National Employee Survey Shows." ERC: Ethics Resource Center. Web. 06 May 2010. .
- Garcia, John D. "CIVILIZATION AND ETHICS." CREATIVE TRANSFORMATION: A Practical Guide for Maximizing Creativity. 1991. Web. 02 May 2010. .
- Gilly, Thomas Albert., Yakov Gilinskiy, and Vladimir Sergevnin. The Ethics of Terrorism: Innovative Approaches from an International Perspective. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas, 2009. Print.
Holborn, Hajo. History and the Humanities. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1972. Print.
- Prasad, Rajendra. A Conceptual-analytic Study of Classical Indian Philosophy of Morals. New Delhi: Jointly Published by Centre for Studies in Civilization and Concept Pub. for the Project of History of Indian Science, Philosophy, and Culture, 2008. Print.
- Striker, Gisela. Greek Ethics and Moral Theory: The Tanner Lectures on Human Values. California: Stanford University, 1987. Print.

Follow the Leader, Caesar

"A ruler should be slow to punish and swift to reward."

~ Ovid

"No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent."

~ Abraham Lincoln

"What you cannot enforce, Do not command."

~ Sophocles


These are all quotes that embody certain traits and behaviours I think a good leader should exhibit. Firstly, Ovid means that a ruler should be tentative with his actions and to not make split decisions on a whim without certain conviction. Caesar does make impulsive decisions and it is debatable whether they are for the better or not. Saying that, of course all things hold positive and negative values but when it comes to his decision on the massacre of the legion at Cenabum, I cannot agree. Although Caesar was generally a leader of integrity, decisions like these make it harder to point out exactly how he always made good decisions for the benefit of people.
Regarding the second quote, obviously a majority of people vote in people of power in today's democratic society but back in ancient civilizations it was obvious that people manipulated and even went as far as "murder" to achieve power. Caesar was however, very good with appealing and persuading the people of the Roman Empire. He could manipulate the Senate and the civilians in order to gain acceptance as a ruler and his dictatorial decisions. In modern times, democracy is certainly something we as people value and this quote directly concerns the voice of the people who choose who they want in power.
Lastly, the last quote deals with the prospect of not taking on more than you can handle. As a leader, the ability to keep control and order over vast masses of people is a valuable skill to have. Having instability and chaos within populations as vast as the Roman Empire (or any of today's controlled regions) would be disastrous. Caesar was able to do this very well in fact. He could control masses of people and control the order and stability of his military advances.

Having these skills and qualities as a ruler certainly is an advantage and looking at Caesar, he was an excellent one, for the most part.

Fear is infectious.

As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~Nelson Mandela

What Makes a Hero?

Suffering breeds heroes,
Their strength is a lesson to all; and,
All benefit from that experience.
A hero learns to empathize and,
Show compassion for others going through difficult times.
Nothing will stand in their way,
They show perseverance in the face of adversity.
A hero achieves the impossible.
Rises up and does what is right in the worst of all their circumstances.
You can trust what you tell them,
It will not go further.
A hero is not boastful,
But is often modest about their accomplishments.
My hero is strong, dependable, humble, and a good listener;
Pointing out the positives, never the negatives
A hero makes me feel like a hero;
A hero will always live within us and others.

Alone

Integrity is shown when no one is looking.

~Unknown

Good Character

"Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character."

~ Heraclitus

Heros

"A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is found among a thousand, but an accomplished one might not be found even among a hundred thousand men."

~ Plato

We will change.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."

~ Barack Obama

Live your Life

“Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?”

~ Bob Marley

Good vs. Bad

"Are people good because they want to be? Or are they good because they are afraid to be bad? ... I think the good person will be no different from the bad person."

~ Plato

I agree with this statement as long as the situation is within reasonable bounds according to personal morals and the law. Essentially morals can only be broken if an individual holds them (and of course abides by the law). So, if that is determined then what about temptation? Does it get in the way of morals? Can it be said that selfishness does too? Why do we as humans give in to the temptation to be bad? I personally don't think that this is such a terrible thing. Being able to give in to some temptation can be a good thing depending on the situation and the context it holds. Opposed to this, I can also say that it is also a good thing to resist temptation; to not give in to what we want when we want it. Most importantly, this references back to the Greek theory of "balance" in life. Does this balance enable us to make these choices? Do we get too carried away with giving in to temptation or resisting it? These questions have to be asked by the individual at question. Only they themselves can judge this for only them.

For Freedom

A while back our class had a group discussion about freedom and the sense of independent freedom in society. What does freedom mean to you? What does it represent? These are just a few of the questions we were faced with in our discussion. Given the task of writing down a personal answer, I'm sure that each student in the class had a different one. Is freedom the right to an opinion? Is it the opportunity to speak your mind truthfully? I say it is the ability to choose for yourself. To be able to decided (for you) what is right and what is wrong. What is helpful and what is a hindrance. To make choices enables an individual to have power over their own life at will. However, making a "bad" choice versus a "right" choice all depends on the values and morals he or she has based on the people around them in life and their upbringing.
Freedom can be many things to many different people and it can be said that the true definition of freedom nothing but undecidable.

"It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never to use either."

~ Mark Twain

Such a terrible situation.

It can be said that under the influence of the wine god, Agaue would not have attacked Pentheus. Since it is she who betrays her own son and kills him, we see that she is sick. So much like an animal with rabies, she cannot hear he son’s pleas for his life. Under the control of Dionysus, her sense are gone and no longer is she Pentheus’ mother than a wild animal on a killing spree. “not by strength but by ease of hand that was the gift of the god.” This quote also tells us that she does not have the power over her own actions at this point. It is Dionysus himself that is doing this deed with his own power.
Relating this to Greek culture, we see uncivilized behavior from Agave who is under the spell of Dionysus. This goes to show us that Dionysus is not acting godlike at all but rather using his powers to take advantage and seek revenge on the people.

Unbalanced

"Where shepherd calls to shepherd as one drives in his flocks
and the other drives his out and he calls back in answer,
where a man who never sleeps could rake in double wages,
one for herding cattle, one for pasturing fleecy sheep,
the nightfall and the sunrise march so close together."
~ Odysseus
Book 10, page 233, lines 91-95

Temptation

"Why, even a deathless god
who came upon that place would gaze in wonder,
heart entranced with pleasure. Hermes the guide,
the mighty giant-killer, stood there, spellbound..."
~ Narrator
Book 5, page 154, lines 81-84

Just a bit of human emotion

"That was the song the famous harper sang
but great Odysseus melted into tears,
running down from his eyes to wet his cheeks..."
~ Narrator
Book 8, page 208, line 585-587

Suffering to achieve.

"So I said, and it broke my shipmates' hearts.
They sank down on the ground, moaning, tore their hair.
But it gained us nothing-what good can come of grief?"
~ Odysseus
Book 10, page 248, line 623-625

Odysseus knows that he and his men must suffer more. Knowing that he has not achieved his nostos yet, he must continue on. Suffering along with his men is not an option in order to succeed in achieving his goal. This is a requirement of a hero according to Homer and so Odysseus must toil and slave longer in order to acquire greatness. Being plagued by the gods through bad weather and the circumstances that surely test his capabilities and skill, Odysseus knows that he will get what he wants. He will return home.

The idea of heroism in the Greek civilization is evident and very prominent in Homer's classic; the Odyssey, the journey of a man who achieves greatness and the title of a hero through his troubles and travels. In order to deserve, one must prove themselves worthy of the title; "hero".
If you suffer, you will be rewarded. This also refernces back to the idea of the golden mean, the balance in Greek society that maintains values. The balance of negative and positive, of good and evil, of suffering and rewards, is required in life. To learn and go through circumstances in life that show this balance is a requirement of life.

Outsmarted

"Not for all the world. Not
until you consent to swear, goddess, a binding oath
you'll never plot some new intrigue to harm me!"
~ Odysseus
Book 10, page 241, line 380-382

This shorter passage from The Odyssey gives us key information about more of Odysseus' character. Metis, and/or cunning, is "shrewdness as demonstrated by being skilled in deception" (Google, Define:). Being able to manipulate Circe into getting what he wants and spare him from being used, we see that Odysseus is a thinker rather than using means of brawn when it comes to his current situation to achieve what he wants. This theme of brains over brawn is a reoccurring one along with the theme of cunning. Outsmarting the witch in order to protect himself is what he does, and one can say that this increases one's chance of survival.

Cunning

"I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift as you've promised.
Nobody-that's my name. Nobody-so my mother and father call me, all my
friends."
~Odysseus
Book 9, page 223, line 409-411

I know you now.

"What pains-the gods have given me my share.
Now let me begin by telling you my name...
so you may know it well and I in times to come,
if I can escape the fatal day, will be your host,
your sworn friend, though my home is far from here.
I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world
for every kind of craft-my fame has reached the skies."
~Odysseus
Book 9, page 212, line 16-22

In this passage we have Odysseus, our hero, identifying himself to the Phaeacians and beginning to tell his story to them. He tells us that he has suffered, as all true heroes do, and that he will prevail until he arrives on his native land again. Knowing of his fame, he tells us that he is the one people speak of; he is a hero. He is cabable and skilled, he has suffered and prospered, he has gotten to where he is now because he has perservered. The theme of "unveiling" and "identification" is evident knowing that the Phaeacian people do not know who he is and do not recognise him. The identification of our hero in this passage declares an under layer of truth and wisdom from Odysseus.

The Sweetest Sight

"I know no sweeter sight on earth than a man's own native country."

~ Odysseus

Book 9, page 212, line 31-32