A Cambridge Philosopher's take on the Basics of Ethics

     I don't often read books concerning philosophical topics, but I had the opportunity to check out Being Good: A short introduction to ethics for a course on terrorism that I am currently taking for my major. Written by famed Cambridge philosopher and English academic Simon Blackburn, Being Good is best described as a brief, yet intriguing treatise on ethical behavior and the motivations behind it.

"Ethics is disturbing. We are often vaguely uncomfortable when we think of such things as exploitation of the world's resources, or the way our comforts are provided by the miserable labour conditions of the third world." (Blackburn 7)

     The book is structured very systemically, and split up in to three major sections. Part One is titled "Seven Threats to Ethics", which Blackburn considers to be religion, relativism, egoism, evolutionary theory, determinism and futility, and unreasonable demands. Blackburn argues that all of these views or practices work to jeopardize true standards of morality and the overall stability of ethical behavior as a whole. Each threat is thoroughly explored in the span of only a few pages, which I thought was quite impressive considering the weightiness and controversy of some of his arguments.
     What I considered to be most interesting from this portion of the book was Blackburn's statement that religion itself could be a threat to ethics. At first, this statement would seem nonsensical. How could he argue this? one might ask. Is not religion the basis for many people's morality? Blackburn boldly counters this notion, asserting that some individuals only adhere to religious standards of morality out of obligation (that is, obedience to some higher power for fear of punishment). In other words, Blackburn argues that many "religious" people do what is "right" or "moral" simply because it is expected of them, and not out of the goodness of their own hearts. While there are certainly numerous individuals who stand as exceptions to this somewhat blanket allegation, it is still an important consideration to bear in mind, especially when discussing the motivations behind ethical behavior. Is one's behavior truly "moral" if it is based out of fear or obligation, as is sometimes the case with religious zealots? According to Blackburn, the answer is no.

"...the denial of rights is everybody's concern." (Blackburn 24)

     Part Two of the book explores ideas relating to ethics, such as birth and death, the meaning of life, pleasure, and natural rights. Which each topic, Blackburn addresses how that particular subject has been treated by philosophers, academics, and various social groups alike throughout human history. Rather than taking a specific stance on each topic, Blackburn instead simply analyzes the arguments of others, using a wide variety of sources and opinions. Part Two demonstrates to readers how controversial subjects in ethics are discussed, in hopes of provoking thoughtful reflection about one's own views regarding the topics at hand. Blackburn never expressly endorses or condemns a certain side or stance, but rather covertly chooses to leave this to the reader's own interpretations.
  
"An ethic will crystallize our attitudes to the most important events, such as birth and death. It will determine our attitude to life and what makes it worth living." (Blackburn 56)

   The last part of the book mainly addresses the four main schools of ethical thought: utilitarianism, Kantian absolutism, ethical relativism, and egoism. While notably the shortest section of the book, it is here that Blackburn somewhat ties the whole work together, and presents readers with a call to think critically on what they choose to base their morality off of. Based off of the way he writes, Blackburn seems to present a slight bias in favor of utilitarianism (promoting the greatest good for the great number of people, by minimizing pain and maximizing pleasure) and Kantian absolutism (a deontological approach in which standards for ethical behavior are based upon a pre-existing moral code). Similarly, he seems to reject ethical relativism, citing various counterarguments against it.
    While I was already somewhat familiar with the first three tenets, it was the concept of egoism which I thought was the most thought-provoking. The egoist is an individual who more or less believes that all ethical behavior is ultimately rooted in selfishness. Similarly to Blackburn's earlier statements on religion, one might feel indignant upon hearing this, but I found there was some truth to the claims of egoism. Essentially, egoism affirms the notion that individuals only act morally to feel good about themselves, which everyone--myself included--can somewhat be found guilty of (e.g. a scout helping an elderly individual cross a street for a badge, donating to charity to appear generous, etc.) While Blackburn himself doesn't seem to be a staunch advocate for the theory of egoism, he does still call readers to reflect on what motivates their own ethical behavior, which I think is something we should all habitually practice in our day to day lives. Like Blackburn, I don't believe that egoism motivates most individuals (e.g. going back to save a stranger stuck in a burning building even though you risk losing your own life), but I do think it is easy to fall prey to seeking public approval for our moral actions, rather than behaving ethically simply because it is the right thing to do.

"...it takes education and practice in order to become virtuous. It does not just happen." (Blackburn 113)

     Overall, Blackburn's Being Good is an insightful and meticulous book, and the perfect introductory piece to the basic principles of ethics. While sometimes pompous in its academic language and historical references, it is still a great read for anyone interested in gaining a broader comprehension of what shapes a person's standards of morality and, as a result, how they choose to live their lives. Understanding is, after all, the bridge to empathy.

"...real flourishing or true human health implies justice. It implies removing the oppression, and living so that we can look other people, even outsiders, in the eye." (Blackburn 116)