28 Oct 2009: Stephen's topic Ethics of Community, Tribe and Family

Ethics of Community, Tribe and Family.

Society and the bonds between people is based on an interchange of some value between them.

Without some exchange we are merely incidental cohabitants of a mutual space – no obligation no expectation.

As participants in a relationship we are already inside an interchange dynamic.

Even to say ‘I have no expectations and expect you to have none of me’ is a positive position within the domain.

If one agrees with all this, to be social implies that we each, generally (as a personality default) and more specifically (within each of our relationships) bring an approach or set of ethics to bear on our actions and decisions, where other are involved.

So the question space is this:

What are the ethics that run your relationships?

Do we have a responsibility toward those around us to play according to some shared value or is it rather about each looking to the gain (personal or otherwise) of each individual circumstance?

If there is such a thing as responsibility and it is mutual, does expectation also have a place?

And the grand question – what is an ethical approach that leads to a great life – for you and for your tribe and family.

N.B.

The focus of this topic is ‘tribe and family’ - read friends and family.

Community is included only as a contextualiser for the other two as the conversation becomes too wide if we are also trying to analyse our global ethical position.