Development of Ethics through early literature
... No matter where you come from or what background you have, everyone has a certain set of ethics and morals that influence every decision they make. Through ancient texts and stories that have been studied, we can discern what people from long-gone cultures thought about ethics and morals, while at the same time examining what we believe today. The first question one must ask when examining the concept of ethics is “Why do we even need ethics in the first place? ... The only concept of ethics then was “if the gods like it, it must be alright. ... What, then, was the catalyst for the start of ethics? ... But, of course, it is obvious that the idea of ethics wasn’t started overnight just because some king found a new friend. It doesn’t matter what part of the world you are from – every culture has moral codes and ethics. ... The same inner conflict that Arjuna went through is still felt today by soldiers all over the world. And, although it is controversial and I know at least one person that doesn’t agree with me , I believe that the answers to those questions are still easily found, just as Arjuna found out, through religion and God. Time and time again, Krishna explains to Arjuna the concept of right and wrong, something that sounds very similar to the definition of ethics. ... Arjuna goes through an almost complete metamorphosis as a man that changes his whole outlook not only on whether or not killing in war is justifiable, but on what one needs to do to become spiritually a good person. ... I strongly believe that if the Christian beliefs had been around earlier, ethics would never have had to “develop,” they simply would have been a part of everyday life. ... It’s no wonder ethics developed so slowly – how could anyone have known who to listen to? ... Revenge and the “eye for an eye” way of thinking was the main motive behind many of the choices made by early human beings. ... I believe this was the point that I realized that true ethics are learned by figuring things out for yourself. ... I strongly agree with Plato that virtue and ethics cannot be taught – one learns through his own experiences and choices in life how he feels about ethics. ... Ethics are given to us by whomever we see as “God,” whether that be the thousand gods of Greek mythology or the Christ of Christian teachings.