The necessity of a clear Moral CompassMore than ever a clear Moral Compass is regarded as a necessary benchmark for ethics. It is a personal bulwark against a morally relativistic society and a way of creating trust between individuals and communities by providing an ideal and authoritative code of conduct. But what exactly are these fundamental ethical principles that codify the Moral Compass?
Ethics are now big business. It is almost impossible to open a newspaper, turn on the television or the radio without hearing various religious spokesmen, moral pundits or political leaders all complaining that there is a lack of moral imperative in society. There is a broken Moral Compass and societies standards are declining as never before. They constantly make an appeal for a common unifying framework of ethics and call for the promotion of fundamental shared values throughout society as a basis for moral reasoning and the rejection of faux moralism. They argue for the upholding of universalisable values as a glue to hold society together and re-assert their damming criticisms of both individuals and a society that don't abide by a clear Moral Compass. They claim that society is becoming "de-moralised" and the promotion of an ethical society is more important and urgent than ever before.
The entreaties are by now all to familiar:"...fundamental, shared values...", "...basic principles...", "...a clear commitment to shared morals...", "...a common framework of ethics...", "...some workable common ground of values...", "...a core of common ethics..."
There is a constant call for a unifying set of core principles. Not simply for ethics in a generalised sense, but for clear fundamental principles that can be codified and applied as a benchmark for ethical decision making.
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