I suppose it is necessary to make it clear what we are not talking about. The terms mores, morals and ethics get all mixed up in our heads, so that it becomes easy to use one word when something else is intended. Even those who claim to be moralists or ethicists do not seem to know the difference. Those who speak about these subjects in our current time have not only confused these issues in their own minds, but have misinterpreted those who spoke in the past about these values. Socrates, for instance, stated that there was an intrinsic good in the universe, and that the more we knew, the more we would approach and become part of this total goodness. His influence was profound on our religions. Each of our religions, in misinterpretation of Socrates’ profundity, holds to the myth of a deity which is totally good. Socrates was right only in the sense that, the more enlightened we become, the more we understand that the universe does not give a fig about what happens to any of us, and would just as soon see us dead as alive; yet that, the more we know, the more we respect all other life, and therefore do what is right. I have to wonder if that is not precisely what Socrates understood. What Socrates said, however, has been totally twisted by our religions into to this “Good Deity” version. This probable misinterpretation, by our religions, about what Socrates meant, has left us in a morass of misunderstanding. Don’t go to the encyclopedia attempting to understand the difference between mores, morals and ethics. Those tomes are full of the same mistake that this gross misinterpretation of Socrates fostered. They have assumed, as the basis for their discussions, some kind of intrinsic deified goodness in the universe – which we now know to be quite wrong. Don’t go to the writings of Peter Singer, one of our modern moralists. He does not seem to have the foggiest idea of the difference between morals and ethics. Don’t go to church expecting enlightenment about true right and wrong. All religions are caught up in their own mythology of Deities possessing the only true Goodness, or pathway to such. For these reasons, I hope you will allow me to say just a few words about definitions before we discuss this matter further.
Mores are simply local customs, which do not bear punishment value as to right and wrong in human society. In some societies, it is proper to only stand in line when waiting for service. In other societies, it is normal for everyone to push forward gesturing for attention. In some societies, women and men are seated separately at gatherings; in others, they mingle freely. In some societies, children are taught to always be subservient; in others, they are encouraged to be spirited and adventurous. There is only mild value judgment attached to these social behaviors. We might get upset about some of these behaviors, but no one gets sent to jail for them.
Morals, on the other hand, are judgments as to human behaviors which deserve punishment in that society, if that behavior does not follow local laws. In strict Muslim societies, for example, women must be veiled, head covered, and body covered head to toe. If they do not do such, they are subject to severe bodily punishment. I do not in any way agree with such male domination and torture, but understand that this is the moral standard of that society. What is moral for an atheist varies tremendously from what is moral for a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist or a Hindu. What is moral for an aboriginal society is far different than what is moral for a more advanced society. Morals vary immensely from one society to another. What is so evil it is punishable by torture or even death in one society is not only accepted, but admired in another society. Morals are human behavior standards which vary greatly from one society to another, but in any one particular society, are punishable offenses.
That leaves us with a definition of ethics. You will not find this definition of ethics that follows in this paragraph in any encyclopedia, or dictionary, or book on morals and ethics. All of these other resources, in my opinion, are wrong. In my opinion, ethics is that value system which applies to all humans in all societies, in all religions, in all degrees of development, with all degrees of poverty or wealth. This value system does not vary according to each town or province, each country, each religion, each geographic area, each sex or age. Ethics should be understood as that set of values which is right for all humans of all description, everywhere, of every age, of every sex, of every climate, of every appearance. It should be further understood that ethics values are solely an invention of the human species. It is a value system which applies only to the human race. The universe, my friends, does not give a fig about human ethics.
Yet I need to extend this understanding. Any ethics system which includes only human life is short sighted, and can only be described as “human ethics”. We need more, if we are to continue as a viable species on the planet earth. What we need most is that set of values which not only embodies all those behaviors that will foster each human life and each human society, but that system of values which will foster all of life – since we, as humans, are totally interdependent upon all other forms of living beings, in a total structure which the universe recognizes as” life”. Although ethics is a value system which we have created, it is not a universal system of ethics unless it includes all of life. A value system which applies equally to all humans, but not to all other life, can be only thought of as a supermorality. Although we are partial to our own species, and will do whatever we can to survive against all the vicissitudes other life and the universe throw at us, we have to understand that those opportunity rights which apply to us: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, also apply equally to all other forms of life. The only proper definition of universal ethics is that value system that applies to all life.
So what is the result of this cacophony of value systems which present a total mixture of mores and morals, wildly different in various parts of the world, as far as medicine is concerned? It means that there is not yet, even in the greatest sense of imagination, ethics in medicine. This discipline, which prides itself upon presenting help and care for whoever presents in need, may at times be quite moral – but it fails miserably to be ethical, once we understand what ethics really means. In the United States and developed European countries, the wealthy get the best of health care, while the poor get left out. In deeply religions societies, some sexes or ages get good health care, while others do not. In countries with widely divergent ideologies, certain believers get good health care, while others do not. In war areas where male hormones rage high and different factions fight bitterly to gain power, hospitals, where the most dependent humans search desperately for succor, are targeted for destruction. This behavior can only be termed the opposite of ethical, in our value systems: it is evil. Medicine, my treasured profession, is a victim of the abject failure of our society and all other societies to understand that all human life, and all other life, is precious.
I deeply admire those, in my profession, who give freely of themselves to provide care for those in need, in whatever country they may exist. They are my heroes, who may not understand what the term “ethics” really means, but who have practiced it in their lives. This has been a most difficult profession. It has asked for commitment to patient’s needs at the sacrifice of my wives and children. It has demanded total devotion to the needs of those in need. When I have responded to those needs without question, it has been deeply rewarding –and highly moral.
I find myself, at the tail end of my professional journey, deeply sad. There is, as yet, occasionally great morality, but truly no ethics in medicine. That will only occur when all people, of all countries, of all ages, of all sexes, of all religions, of all belief, have equal access to the best that our health care system has to offer. There should be universal health care for all people of all nations, sexes, religions, ethnicity, color, age or region. In addition, universal ethics in medicine will only occur when there is consideration for the rights of all other life in every health care decision that we make. We are, at the present time, light-years away from this ultimate goal of ethics in medicine
The human race, as yet, judged by what I have read and observed, has no concept of what ethics really means. Human ethics means a value system that applies to all people everywhere, of all ages and beliefs, appearances and nationality. UNIVERSAL ETHICS means deep, abiding, and divinely profound respect for ALL LIFE.