Charles R. Lightner

In prior posts I’ve noted some of the many instances where we find a culture that defines responsibilities among individuals differently depending on the relationship between or among them. There are two reasons to be emphasize that point. First, those who hold that the ethical standard we should aspire to is to “Love your neighbor as yourself” argue that it is to be understood in a u...

In my post of August 20, 2017, I discussed Harry Gensler’s proposal that the ideas that are termed the Golden Rule and the Silver Rule are logically identical. I have written in several posts that I believe that analysis (which others also propose) is incorrect. Here I want to take a different approach to that argument. I’ll quote here again Gensler’s proposal: "10.4 Both are eq...

Aristotle, in The Nicomachean Ethics, proposes several ideas that are significant to the structure of the ethical system we are pursuing. And David Ross, in his Introduction to and notes to the Oxford World Classics edition of that work, adds very helpful analysis. Much of Aristotle’s work reflects his particular interest in only one class of people. Ross states that “his (Aristotle’s...

I’ve written previously on the issue, and the problem, of the Golden Rule, as typically stated, having a self-referential standard of proper behavior. It makes a person’s own desire and sense of the right and good, the standard against which he judges his own actions toward others. The risks of that are clear and have been apparent to those who have seriously considered the actual app...

I’ve suggested that the formula found in most religions, cultures and philosophies that holds that, in the words of Hillel “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow” should be viewed as a fundamental Ethic of Restraint. It is incorrect to view it as a “negative” formulation of the Golden Rule idea. While it is stated in terms of avoiding unwanted behavior, that avoidance...

Much of human life is repetition. Our days tend to acquire patterns determined by our life situation. When we are young, in grammar school for instance, our days will have a different shape and pattern than will be the case when we are teenagers. When we are college students our days will be different from those after our graduation. Our married lives before the arrival of children will ...

The first element in The Ethic of Repair is reflection. Reflection is the process through which we examine our behavior and identify the ways in which we have fallen short; the ways in which we have failed to act in accordance with the Ethics of Restraint and Respect. Identifying our shortcomings is, itself, a positive and powerful practice. But to accomplish repair, more is needed. ...

As I have continued work on the various expressions of The Ethic of Reflection I have come to believe that it cannot be the final element in our ethical structure. The reflective element found so powerfully in twelve-step programs includes both a “general” review of behavior (the fourth step) and a periodic review (the tenth step). These have been used by millions over the years as...

In a sense, the entirety of Confucius’ teaching relates to The Ethic of Reflection. His central subject is proper behavior: with respect to oneself, with respect to family, to disciples, to associates and to the state. His emphasis on the proper regulation of behavior assumes: 1) a set of principles against which ones’ behavior is to be measured, 2) a regular and disciplined proces...