Buddhist — Eightfold path: (Right views, Right aspirations, Right speech, Right conduct, Right livelihood, Right effort, Right mindfulness, and Right meditational attainment).
Christian — Includes the Golden Rule (Love your neighbor; Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; turn the other cheek; ) and the concept of avoiding sin.
Hindu — Ahimsa, do no harm to any living thing
Islamic — Surrender to the will of God.
Jewish — Ten Commandments (also Christian and Islamic)
Note that there is a great deal of overlap and interaction between these faiths. For example, Christianity isn’t the only (or even necessarily the original) source of the Golden Rule — it is often found in other religions. Also note that not all religions are represented here. Other major religions include Confucianism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism and Wicca.
For more information see Robert Cavalier’s Online Guide to Ethics and Philosophy.
Moral Principles
When making these difficult moral choices, sometimes its helpful to discuss basic moral principles in neutral language that transcends philosophical or religious traditions. According to Gerald Corey, Issues and Ethics in the Helping Professions, (NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1999), terms for basic principles found in ethical traditions are:
- Autonomy / people make their own choices without manipulation
- Non-maleficence / do no harm
- Beneficence / help people
- Justice / fairness, treat all people alike
- Fidelity / honor commitment to those you serve
- Veracity / truthfulness
Ethical orientation or ultimate loyalty is another way to look at how individuals and cultures view ethical behavior. Which of these describes your ethical orientation?
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Are you oriented towards the greater good of the community or the greater good of individuals? Who bears the ultimate value — the individual or the community? This is not to say that either orientation is ethical or unethical. Instead, your orientation is a deeply seated psychological attribute that helps you make decisions about ethics.
Outgoing, communitarian people may be more concerned with the greater good of the whole group, while introspective people may be more concerned with personal liberties. The question is also cultural: Generally, eastern cultures are more community oriented, valuing harmony over individualism, while western cultures cherish individual liberties — quite often at the expense of social harmony.
In either case, these orientations are not mutually exclusive. Nearly all people and societies have at least some concern for both individuals and communities.
Either of the two orientations, taken to the extreme, can produce social dysfunctions. An extremely libertarian society may have great inequities in its distribution of wealth and resources. An extremely communitarian society may stifle freedom and initiative.