According to Wikipedia, ethical hedonism is the thought that all people have the right to achieve the greatest amount of pleasure possible to them. We all love being happy, right? I think this philosophical school of thought could get out of hand if your happiness is at the expense of another’s. So this holiday season, “treat yo self” responsibly, and maybe share the love with others in the process.
9. Map out a decision you’d like to make and the consequences of each path
This is a meditative process meant for one to consider the rightness and wrongness of a set of actions. Normative ethics looks at how one ought to act and the questions that arise when deciding an action. When trying to make a tough decision, I think a lot of people become obsessive over one option or another, when there are always multiple options for assessment. Don’t be hesitant to map out all of your options, and think of the ethics in play in each one.
…or anyone that has made a profound impact on your life. Reflecting on the values that you admire in your role model can be a good way to create meaningful resolutions this New Years.
7. Reflect on your moral compass this New Years
By my definition, one’s moral compass is the beliefs, morals, and values that determine how we act. What guides your moral compass? Courage, integrity, loyalty? And is there someone in your life who serves as a manifestation of your moral compass? Turns out there’s a moralcompass.org that has an interesting (if simplified) survey. Check it out!
I tried this meditation about a month ago and loved it. It’s a Japanese form of meditation meant for self-reflection. During my meditation, we were asked the following questions:
1. What have I received today?
2. What have I given today?
3. What troubles and difficulties have I caused today?
Any form of meditation, just taking time out of your normal day, can provide peace and health to the body and mind. Finding spiritual peace in any form is also a historical ethical theory called Stoicism
Ethics in economics?! It does exist! Think about this example: this holiday season, giving a homemade apple pie to someone struggling with food insecurity can make a dramatic impact on their happiness. Giving that same homemade apple pie to the equivalent of Dionysus is a kind gesture, but it affects his/her happiness less comparatively to the former person. My point being, do something small for someone where it will make a big difference. This might even be a kind word or a hand-written card.
4. Naughty or nice?
Make a list of the top 5 morally just things you've done this year, and a list with the 5 things you’re not so proud of. This is another good exercise in self-reflection, and determining your New Year’s resolution.
3. Community service
Applied ethics. Think of where your services are needed. Maybe it’s serving food at a community shelter, volunteering with disaster relief, or volunteering time at a low-budget non-profit.
2. Reconnect with someone who has molded your moral beliefs
This can be a good way to reassess your moral compass, and remember the value of relationships.
1. What judgment of ourselves or others do you want to get rid of in 2014?
This is #1 on my list because making judgments is inevitable as human beings, but we do have the power to recognize the judgments we make, and change them in a positive way. Recognizing and changing one’s negative judgments can mean everything. It can mean a happier life for a kid or adult otherwise bullied. It can make a profound impact on worldwide human rights issues and help bridge racial and gender inequalities. I have faith that change at an individual level can spread and create global change.
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