(Neo-)Kantian Ethics, The Ethics of Integrity

(Neo-)Kantian Ethics, The Ethics of Integrity

[by Terje Lea 12. July 2011, time 06:22 by Facebook data only.]

Neo-Kantian Ethics, The Ethics of Integrity

Human integrity or the identity of the human

This is original Work by Terje Lea and it has been running from 1998 to 2011, today.

Represented by T + Olsnes-Lea / By Unity Circle

History. I find it rewarding to still keep this project going since its inception in 1998 and to keep the respects to the matter alive, possibly by the mere undertaking of documenting my angle to ethics and working it to a complete argument, thereby having it freshly in memory!

This is really coming down to moral.

There is no such thing as objectivity in interhuman relations. You will only find subjectivity and inter-subjectivity.

Science in the meaning of proving the truth for the public for the Beginning to the End.

For the sake of clarity and for avoiding misunderstanding, this is the definition of Integrity: Loosely from I. Kant, it is that everyone must preserve both the ends of rationality in oneself as well as the ends of rationality in others. Usually, preserving rationality means preserving the potential for maximal happiness, I think. Both as the joy for oneself to live and for the opportunity to enjoy life in general, both people and nature, with the science and industry included. I like you to take nature seriously in the aspect of ecology to support the rationality in yourself and others as nature is the basis for being able to safely sustain humanity and its prosperity (without breaching exactly this nature's boundaries for being a healthy nature with its wildlife and free development in it. Note that I write "preserve", please. Because integrity is to maintain humanity in oneself as well as others, all you need to do is to stay on its course, by duty and job requirement. As long as you carry out your duties relating to your age and condition, you should preserve your integrity very well. Do not lose rationality out of sight!

Difference in nature of integrity as interhuman relations. Individuals that meet, form their understanding of integrity out of the presumption of the other individual`s intentions.

Intension, Attitude and Action (objective) are the objective determinants of Integrity. Be careful for what you do, please! As an alternative to the Good Will of I. Kant, you can think of labelling your propositions in your head with the appropriate value, ie. wrong, right, unknown and undecided. This makes you more safely founded in moving forwards in life with regards to ethical and moral decisions you make. Not that both Good Will and this Labelling go well together because I think they do!

Self-realisation is realise the most of your human nature to the highest degree, intellectually and possibly also physically, while maintaining good health, and in compliance with sound ethics, i.e., ethical objectivity. It's paramount that self-realisation follows integrity in order to be this whole ethical/moral person. Otherwise, it's my theory that corruption and decadence enter the system.

One should remember that your Life-World, all of your experience, physical life, and all of your thoughts, mental life, consists of making the utmost of yourself where the starting priorities are yourself, eminently first, and following proximity thereafter, typically, family, then friends, then contacts, then business connections, then the friendly strangers, then the neutral strangers and then certainly last, the hostile strangers, the crime-enterprise crazies and the rest (incl. enemies). The existential starting point, in my opinion, is from the age of 18 with the actual luggage from upbringing, whatever it is. This does not mean that you are relieved from your duties before this, but that deficient parents, adverse social and physical environment can to lesser or greater degree prevent you from, obviously, becoming the best of yourself. Adversity in this sense is permanent adversity and loss because you lose a combination of time and opportunities.

However, as we proceed, your duties to this are therefore to work reasonably hard with a sound mind and having good personal security with the objective in mind to advance yourself in recognition and profit, on the personal side and to be constructive and of service to society, non-corruptively, contributing to justice and morality, on the other. A fine consequence of this is the advances in science and technology and the very excellent aspects of culture including the arts, more or less progressive. Therefore I've made the following drawings that you should associate this with.

The Good Will means...

[The following is added 19.02.2006. It is from the rest of the notes that comes with the Kantian Ethics.]

Integrity: Feelings > Expression separate from Rationality > Evaluation supervised by Introspection in between them

After Introspection, the process is Rational Feelings that are held against Feelings of the Beast.

Nature of Human vs. Nature of Beast controlled by introspection. Validated by introspection into according situation.

Preconditions: Rational feelings meaning feelings founded in actual conditions and underpinned and supervised by the Self by introspection.

Free upraising: Meaning the non-existence of abusive force that harms this child's integrity.

Teaching: Meaning to convey a message to anyone with retained integrity, without the use of force.

Conclusion: A human being with retained integrity ready to act on its own behalf and with the interest of retaining others' integrity and in order to self-realise its Self to reach happiness. [End of this 19.02.2006 addition.]

Impact on integrity. An action of revenge? An action of immorality? I find it hard to believe that people commit an action of non-passion using their own bodily sexuality! If an action is global or is affecting only a sector like a group or a single person, insofar as this is possible, is an open question that may best be answered by psychology. I do, however, have the suspicion that integrity is always affected globally, all of your relations. This will become more clear with this writing. I have the sense that every action is "governed" by "the perfect ethical system" because I believe ethics matter more than just mere taste, whether it is known or not! So when action is committed, it is mediated or moderated by your own ethical system, very distinct from "the perfect ethical system" unless in perfect compliance, whether it complies with "the perfect ethical system" or not! Thus, an action of revenge comes across as better because a certain morality is attached to it as is opposed to a crime of passion. Revenge is also better in settling an issue with a group or a single person because it carries morality. Unreasonable revenge that's not proportional to what the revenge concerns, is a different issue! A crime of passion may thus affect you globally while an action of revenge, if anything, has the possibility of being contained to just this group or person and thereby only affecting a sector of your integrity. My sense is, however, that this revenge nevertheless must comply with this "perfect ethical system" and therefore doesn't affect your integrity at all. Thus a wrong action of unjustified revenge may affect your integrity globally just the same! We are therefore back where we've started! Wrong actions, whether this or that, probably affect your integrity globally one way or another! Now, behave!

Note on Universality: it should be unnecessary to mention that objective ethics must be universal if one is to lead a flawless ethical/moral life. I see no possibility for escaping this and you should not bother with it either.

This is the temporary drawings and words of a system: Good Will Hunting.

In Jacques Derrida's tradition, The Deconstructionism, the ultimate tradition, the line of thoughts will be:

(Ethics) - Moral - Integrity - Understanding - (Subjective Truth) - Science - Truth

Meanings of Good Will Hunting, the movie, according to this system:
1. element: Orphanage corresponds to No meaning (empty world).
2. element: Violent action gives violent reaction corresponds to a principle of causality. (This element is an issue of discussion.)
3. element: Loyalty corresponds to retained Integrity.
4. element: Science corresponds to Truth.
5. element: The girl and the relationship with her corresponds to his Self-realisation and Happiness.
(6. element:) The overall target meaning with the movie was to prove that Thought is not owned by anyone and therefore the Value of Good Will Hunting in character is undeniable and supreme. Hereby the socialclasses will always be protected from being discredited.

This is written 1998 to 2010, including 23.05.2010, 10.06.2010, 04.07.2010, 17.08.2010, 12.11.2010, 23.11.2010 and 12.07.2011.

Back to the White Room