Do the right thing? The best part of contemplative ethics is that
morality is a matter of intention. What is the motif? What is the desired
outcome? What are acceptable limits of that outcome? What constitutes success?
Failure? What are your weaknesses? Strengths? Opportunities? Resources? Risks?
Rewards? Treats? Possible unintentional consequences? Potential side benefits?
Who wins? Who loses? Who gets hurt in the meantime? Are there casualties? Do
they matter?[1]
If not to you, then to whom?
Premise in narrative poses the nature of conflict, explored by characters,
and how the consequences of their actions are faced. The classic philosophical
treatise on the subject, The Poetics, by Aristotle, explains that the dynamic interaction between
Plot (Mythos, that is, the progression of incidents and events) and Character
(Ethos, or their motifs, morality, choices, thoughts, behavior, etc.) are key elements
in the development of a story’s arc – typically explained as rising action,
climax, and denouement, or the three act format of dramatic storytelling.
Arabic Philosopher Averroes adds a moral dimension to his interpretation of
Comedy as the Art of Blame, and Tragedy as the Art of Praise. Far more
recently, American Novelist William Faulkner sums up his interpretation simply,
“The only thing worth writing about is the human heart in conflict with itself.”
Humans are conflicted creatures, hypocritical, disfunctional, believing
one thing, doing another, capable of spectacular beauty, extraordinary horror,
incredible genius, and masterful degeneracy. “Never underestimate the power of
human stupidity” said some unattributed cynic.
The Consequentialist would argue that Morality is in and of itself only
interested in outcomes, successful ends justifying whatever means towards
accomplishment. The Utilitarian aims solely for happiness and pleasure,
extended by some interpretations as an aim for the betterment of society as a
whole, not merely an “orgasmic” summitting. The Prime-Meridian would argue
that, in the meantime, Greenwich is among the top most dangerous boroughs in
London to live in.
[1] Guilt is wasteful, according to more
utilitarian forms of moral philosophy. The Judean flood would show EL to be a
deity who is under threat of losing control of his grandchildren (Most
Christians are missing out on the full story, but they are too absorbed by
evangelical profiteering to contemplate the Book of Enoch to appreciate the
world that Noah was dealing with). The Hebrew Passover would prove EHEIEH to be
more of an “Eye-for-an-Eye” sort of deity. The G-d of John the Divine would, by
the threat of Revelation to be a deity whose consequences are far more extreme.
For his G-d, the term, “KILL ‘EM ALL, LET G-D SORT ‘EM OUT IN THE END!!!!”
seems to make far more sense.