MASS MEDIA, Sundararaju Madri

Mass media It refers collectively to all media technologies and including the internet television, newspapers, film, and radio, which are used for mass communications, and to the organizations which control these technologies. since the 1950s, in the countries that have reached a high level of industrialization, the mass media of cinema, radio and TV have a key role in political power contemporary research demonstrates an increasing level of concentration of media ownership, with many media industries already highly concentrated and dominated by a very small number of firms. History: The phrase "the media" began to be used in the 1920s, but referred to something that had its origins much further in the past The invention of the printing press in the late 15th century gave rise to some of the first forms of mass communication, by enabling the publication of books and newspapers on a scale much larger than was previously possible. Newspapers The first high-circulation newspapers arose in the eastern United States in the early 1800s, and were made possible by the invention of high-speed rotary steam printing presses, and railroads which allowed large-scale distribution over wide geographical areas. The increase in circulation, however, led to a decline in feedback and interactivity from the readership, making newspapers a more one-way medium. Since the beginning, high-circulation newspapers have been a medium for conditioning public opinion. Electrical telegraph In the 1840s, the first commercial electrical telegraph was developed, allowing to separate communications from transportation, enabling messages to be transmitted instantaneously over large distances. Movies Cinema began to be a large-scale entertainment industry in 1894, with the first commercial exhibition of film. The first films with a narrative began to be distributed in 1987. Radio the first commercial broadcasts in the United States began in the 1920s. Television the first television broadcasts for a mass audience began in 1936s.

MORAL COMMUNICATION IN MODERN SOCIETIES, Sundararaju Madri

Moral Communication in Modern Societies               Social anthropologists and sociologists as well as legal scholars and political theorists have good reason to be interested in morality. Whenever they are concerned with social integration and social solidarity, or their opposites, anomie and deviance, they are concerned with aspects of the moral order of a society. One of the obvious ways for social scientists to investigate morals is to look at the ways in which the members of a society communicate with one another. This holds especially for modern societies. It is not much of an exaggeration to say that in order to find out what the state of morals is in modern society, one must analyze moral communication. We shall try to explain why this is so, and if we succeed, much of the theoretical task we set ourselves for this lecture will be accomplished. The other, empirical part will consist of the description of some key features of modern morality. Although we shall not define the terms, it may be useful to indicate what we mean when we talk of morality and morals and what we understand by communication and moral communication.               We take morality to be a reasonably coherent set of notions of what is right and what is wrong, a set of notions about the good life that guide human action beyond the immediate gratification of desires and the momentary demands of a situation. Such notions, as all notions, are of course held by individuals. Their origin, however, is intersubjective: they are constructed in long historical chains of communicative interactions, and they are selected, maintained and transmitted in complex social processes. Over the generations they come to form distinct historical traditions in which a particular view of the good life and, correspondingly, of the bad life, is articulated. This means that some conceptions of what is right and what is wrong are censored, others systematized and canonized. Thus certain coherence between the notions is achieved; an ideal conception of morality is established. The ideal serves as the norm in the organization of collective life. When the ways to achieve the moral

ABILITY, Tossy Thomas

Ability is the quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; in the plural, faculty, talent. Knowledge or skill, including the potential to acquire knowledge or skills and those already acquired. It is the capacity to learn, commonly known as aptitude, and the demonstration of skills and knowledge already learned, called achievement, are among the factors used to evaluate intelligence . When evaluating or comparing subjects, two kinds of abilities are considered: verbal ability, including reading comprehension, ability to converse, vocabulary, and the use of language; and problem-solving ability, which includes a person's capacity to make good decisions given a set of circumstances. In the accounts we give of one another, claims about our abilities appear to be indispensable. Some abilities are so widespread that many who have them take them for granted, such as the ability to walk, or to write one's name, or to tell a hawk from a handsaw. Others are comparatively rare and notable, such as the ability to hit a Major League fastball, or to compose a symphony, or to tell an elm from a beech. In either case, however, when we ascribe such abilities to one another we have the impression that we are making claims that, whether they are worth saying or not, are at least sometimes true. The impression of truth exerts a pressure towards giving a philosophical theory of ability. It is not an option, at least at the outset, to dismiss all our talk of ability as fiction or outright falsehood. A theory of ability can be reasonably expected to say what it is to have an ability in a way that vindicates the appearance of truth. Such a theory will deserve the name "philosophical" insofar as it gives an account, not of this or that range of abilities, but of abilities generally.

ADVICE, Tossy Thomas

Advice (also called exhortation) is a form of relating personal or institutional opinions, belief systems, values, recommendations or guidance about certain situations relayed in some context to another person, group or party often offered as a guide to action and/or conduct. Put a little more simply, an advice message is a recommendation about what might be thought, said, or otherwise done to address a problem, make a decision, or manage a situation. Advice is believed to be theoretical, and is often considered taboo as well as helpful. The kinds of advice can range from systems of instructional and practical toward more esoteric and spiritual, and is often attributable toward problem solving, strategy seeking, and solution finding, either from a social standpoint or a personal one. Advice may pertain to relationships, lifestyle changes, legal choices, business goals, personal goals, career goals, education goals, religious beliefs, personal growth, motivation, inspiration and so on. Advice is not pertinent to any solid criteria, and may be given freely, or only given when asked upon. In some cultures advice is socially unacceptable to be released unless requested. In other cultures advice is given more openly. It may, especially if it is expert advice such as legal advice or methodological advice also be given only in exchange for payment. Many expressions and quotations have been used to describe the status of advice, whether given, or received. One such expression is "Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.". Advice is like water, you drink it to replenish your soul. This particular quotation pertains the belief system that states that the answers to one's questions are within themselves, and do not come from any external stimuli. The accuracy of this particular belief is often disputed among theologians, philosophers, etc. However, a person who would hold such a belief, would "advise" another person to seek the answers out from within one's own esoteric and inner spiritual natures. Advice when adhered to and followed may be beneficial, non-beneficial, damaging, non-damaging, partially beneficial and partially damaging, in reference to personal or social paradigms. In other words, not all advice is either "all good" or "all bad." Many people consider unrequested advice to be paternalistic and patronizing and are thus offended. Therefore some people may come to the conclusion that advice is morally better to be left out of the equation altogether, and this theory is included within the following quote: "The best advice is this: Don't take advice and don't give advice." Yet, often in society advice has been helpful. A more day to day example would be "eat your vegetables" or "don't drink and drive." If this advice is adhered to we can see that the benefits would outweigh the consequences.

CULTURE, Tossy Thomas

We encounter and make use of the word culture several times a day and in very different contexts. We attend cultural programs, discuss cultural differences as well as agricultural practices, read about the danger of cults and cultivate good or bad habits. Reflecting its Latin origin in the word cultus, past participle of colere ‐ meaning to inhabit, cultivate, foster, worship or take care of ‐ the term culture holds numerous meanings throughout various disciplines such as sociology, cultural anthropology, biology and agriculture. According to dictionary.com, culture can be defined as "the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group." With that in mind, if we understand culture, then we can make assumptions about the meaning of other people's actions, behavior or thinking. Culture is a definition highly misunderstood and misused, thus the need for an explanation:

 Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to:

1. Language : the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of expression.

2. Arts & Sciences : the most advanced and refined forms of human expression.

3. Thought : the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them.

4. Spirituality : the value system transmitted through generations for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and actions.

5. Social activity : the shared pursuits within a cultural community, demonstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events.

6. Interaction : the social aspects of human contact, including the give-and-take of socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions.

All of the above collectively define the meaning of Culture. Culture is often compared to an iceberg. Like the tip of an iceberg, visible aspects of culture such as behavior, eating habits, or clothing are easy to see. Under the surface, however, hides a huge and potentially fatal portion made up of beliefs, values, customs, experiences and assumptions. Knowledge of the deeper parts of the iceberg helps us understand the "why" behind the behavior. It enables us to make more informed evaluations of global counterparts and avoid misunderstandings that can waste time and damage relationships

REASON, Tossy Thomas

The faculty of reason also known as rationality, or the faculty of discursive reason is a virtue that governs the exploratory interactions of humans with the universe - such as those employed in our practice of the natural sciences. It is a mental ability found in human beings and normally considered to be a definitive characteristic of human nature. It is closely associated with such human activities as language, science, art, mathematics and philosophy. Reason, like habit or intuition, is a means by which thinking comes from one idea to a related idea. But more specifically, it is the way rational beings propose and consider explanations concerning cause and effect, true and false, and what is good or bad. In contrast to reason as an abstract noun, a reason is a consideration which explains or justifies some event, phenomenon or behaviour. The ways in which human beings reason through an argument are the subject of inquiries in the field of logic. Reason is closely identified with the ability to self-consciously change beliefs, attitudes, traditions, and institutions, and therefore with the capacity for freedom and self-determination. Psychologists and cognitive scientists have attempted to study and explain how people reasons, e.g. which cognitive and neural processes are engaged and how cultural factors affect the inferences that people draw. The field of automated reasoning studies how reasoning may or may not be modeled computationally. Animal psychology considers the controversial question of whether animals can reason. We also reason theoretically about what morality requires of us; but the nature of theoretical reasoning about ethics is adequately addressed in the various articles on ethics. In order to do justice to the full range of philosophical views about moral reasoning, we will need to have a capacious understanding of what counts as a moral question. For instance, since a prominent position about moral reasoning is that the relevant considerations are not modifiable, we would beg a central question if we here defined "morality" as involving modifiable principles or rules. For present purposes, we may understand issues about what is right or wrong, virtuous or vicious, as raising moral questions.

The topic of moral reasoning lies in between these two other familiar topics in the following simple sense: instead of asking what is true, morally, or what makes moral truths true, those concerned with moral reasoning ask how it is that we responsibly attempt to figure out what is true, morally.

AUTONOMY, Akhil Abraham

Autonomy is a concept found in moral, political, and bioethical Philosophy. Within these contexts, it refers to the capacity of a rational individual to make an informed, un-coerced decision. In moral and political Philosophy, autonomy is often used as the basis for determining moral responsibility for one's actions. One of the best known philosophical theories of autonomy was developed by Kant. In medicine, respect for the autonomy of patients is an important goals deontology, though it can conflict with a competing ethical principle, namely beneficence. Autonomy is also used to refer to the self-government of the people. Autonomy An ethical principle which, when applied to managed care, states that managed care organizations and their providers have a duty to respect the right of their members to make their own decisions about the course of their own live.   Human resource management: A degree or level of freedom and discretion allowed to an employee over his or her job. As a general rule, jobs with high degree of autonomy engender a sense of responsibility and greater job satisfaction in the employee. Not every employee, however, prefers a job with high degree of responsibility.  The word autonomy has several meanings in a philosophical context. In ethics, autonomy refers to a person's capacity for self-determination in the context of moral choices. Kant argued that autonomy is demonstrated by a person who decides on a course of action out of respect for moral duty. That is, an autonomous person acts morally solely for the sake of doing "good", independently of other incentives. In his Ground works of the Metaphysics of morals, Kant applied this concept to create a definition of personhood. He suggested that such compliance with moral law creates the essence of human dignity. In metaphysical philosophy, the concept of autonomy is referenced in discussions about free will, fatalism, determinism, and agency. Autonomy is central in certain moral frameworks, both as a model of the moral person the feature of the person by virtue of which she is morally obligated  and as the aspect of persons which ground others' obligations to them. For Kant, the self-imposition of universal moral law is the ground of both moral obligation generally and the respect others owe to us. In short, practical reason  our ability to use reasons to choose our own actions  presupposes that we understand ourselves as free. Freedom means lacking barriers to our action that are in any way external to our will, though it also requires that we utilize a law to guide our decisions, a law that can come to us only by an act of our own will. This self-imposition of the moral law is autonomy. And since this law must have no content provided by sense or desire, or any other contingent aspect of our situation, it must be universal. Hence we have the Categorical Imperative, that by virtue of our being autonomous we must act only on those maxims that we can consistently will as a universal law.

THE ABSOLUTE,Kulandai

Absolute,        

            ``The Absolute" is a term used by philosophers to signify the ultimate reality regarded as one and yet as the source of variety; as complete, or perfect, yet as  not divorced from the infinite, imperfect world.

            The term was introduced into the philosophical vocabulary at the very end of the eighteenth century by Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling and Georg Wilhelm friedrich Hegel and was naturalized into English by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as early as 1809-1810 in the Friend. Later in the century it was an important term in the writings of such Idealist philosophers as James Frederick Ferrier, Francis Herbert Bradly, Bernard Bosanquet, and Josiah Royce.

            One of the source of the philosophy of the absolute is Immanuel Kant`s doctrine of the Reason as the faculty that aims at unified knowledge of the Unconditioned`` to find for the conditioned knowledge of understanding the Unconditioned that completes its unity.

(Critique of pure reason)

            I would prefer to use this word only to the being that is beyond all our knowledge whom I call``GOD".God is the absolute being for me.

CHOICE,Kulandai

Concept of choice

            Choice means the act of choosing between two or more possibilities. It is often explained as FREE WILL which I would consider partially. Because there are also things that are chosen without free will. here I would like to give My view or concept of choice

  Needed choice

            There should be choice in our life to make our life desirable. It is really difficult when we find no choice in our life. I would like to give latest news as example, that is the educational institution which asked 100% for commerce. This is really an unimaginable situation for the student those who have got 99.9%.This choice may be contradictory though Students have freedom to choose any field they want. Indeed choosing any department of study is choice of the student but in this case there is no choice which is supposed to have. My suggestion for this issue there can be the choice at least 99.5%-100%.

            This sort issue can make human being to frustrate the life and their duties. This can also be a discouragement for some others. Choice is choice to choose when it is offered. Most of our life situation, indeed we choice is offered one or the other way let us find them out and enjoy them.

UNIVERSE,Kulandai

CONCEPT OF UNIVERSE

 

"The universe is a family where we, the human beings live in relation called siblings "

These are the words taken from one of the Tamil hymns' .I think this truth must be recognized or realized.I went through few books on concept of universe which I found most of them have included the creation story Which I would find less concern about it now ,because our concern should be what our experiences are  today in the world rather than arguing about different creation  story. Here I would like to shortly explain universe in the context of being.

Universe is a place for Living 

            The universe is a place where all beings live. This is an un imaginable to think about the universe without beings which includes living and non living beings.. etc.. This universe stands very good and pleasant if we make use of it. How to make use the world ? is the reflective question for each one of us today. The universe has got so many good thing like trees, birds, animals…… beyond all  Human beings. Are these being really help us to live peacefully today? Most of us would have difficulty in answering this question, because I have included human beings in general which naturally includes the human being who harmed us physically and mentally also.

            "The universe is a family where we, the human beings live in relation called siblings "It is really challengeable to think the universe as family when we have closed heart that never gives hands to the other. I can explain about the universe with so many vocabularies which would be meaningless when it is not experienced by our own. The only way of being happy and make use of the world is helping each other. let us do that and to find the meaning in life.

Virtue ethics,Kulandai

Virtue ethics

            Virtue ethics describes the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior, rather than rules (deontology) or consequentialism, which drives rightness or wrongness from the outcome of the act itself rather then character.

(Encyclopedia on ethics)

                Virtue is an important character one should have .virtue ethics drives rightness or wrongness from the outcome of the act itself. `` No good tree gives bad fruit and bad tree gives good fruit". Many of us judge the people based on this statement which naturally hider us to see the good in bad people. Many of the good people whom we think are not good and whom we think bad  is not really bad. When it is in the level of living being, it may be true, but living being like human being it never fits.

            I mean Human being beyond all these things .Virtue ethics deals with virtue rather than character. What is the difference between Virtue and character? Virtue is the outcome of the act itself but character stands for the person with it`s past experience also. A student who studies virtue ethics could differentiate and make it practical. Why can not we make difference? Let us try and understand practically what virtue ethics is by our own lives.

Nominative ethics,Kulandai

Nominative ethics

            Nominative ethics is the branch of philosophical ethics that investigates the set of question that arise when we think about the question 'How ought one to act morally? `

(Encyclopedia on nominative ethics)

            There is a saying goes like this`` Mistake is not a mistake when you don`t mind it as a mistake" This happens in many of our lives. Most of our life time we don`t mind the mistake especially which leads to sin later. For example we lie sometime and say there was no other alternative to do. It may be true sometimes but this can also help us to cheat which can disturb so many people without our knowledge. I would like to explain it with an incident.

            There was a boy who wants to play when his mother wanted his help. This playful boy gave an excuse by saying a lie he had classes on the particular day and went playing. He might have thought this was the correct way to do .He continued telling lies in all the situation cunningly where he found comfortable and with this sort of situation. In the future he gets a good job and one day he wants to go for some personal works, so He lies as he used to do .When his misbehavior came to know to his manager he puts him away from his job. Now How can he and his family manage until he gets new job? The problem arises only here.

            Nominative ethics is a precaution for these issues. When we take different position from norms, we are lead to disorder which slowly leads to distraction of oneself and other. Nominative ethics `How one ought to act morally with his full possibility and consciousness.

SELF CONFIDENCE, Juby Chacko

SELF CONFIDENCE

Self-confidence is the confidence one has in oneself, one's knowledge,
and one's abilities. It is the confidence of the type: "I can do
this". "I have the ability to do this". Self-confidence is the one
thing that is much more important than many other abilities and
traits. If you do not have self-confidence, what you do will never
become fruitful at all. The fruits of what you do without
self-confidence are lost. A moral person is the one who fight for
justice in the society, and if one lacks self confidence one can never
work for justice.

Genuine self-confidence is the forerunner of achievements.
Self-confidence integrates the powers of mind and body and focuses
them towards the goals which are moral. Only such a concentrated
energy can reach the goal. Self-confidence is the first step to
progress, development, achievement and success. Even if you have a lot
of abilities and a lot of knowledge, if you do not have
Self-confidence you cannot be a success. But, on the contrary, even if
you have only average abilities and knowledge, if you have an
unfailingly true self-confidence, chances are that you achieve what
you want to. The successes and achievements in turn will strengthen
your self-confidence further. People like, respect, believe and trust
persons who are self-confident. And if people like, respect, believe
and trust us we can motivate them to lead a moral life.

Personally the feeling of self confidence arises in me sometimes but
not with any great intensity. I suppose it is because I am not yet in
an advanced state in my practice of self confidence. But it is a great
relief for me to feel and to know that I do not HAVE TO behave in a
certain manner, or think in certain or achieve any particular result
however desirable. It is all going to come to nothing in the end; the
fretful ego is going to be extinguished so why take it so seriously.

GENTLENESS, Juby Chacko

Gentleness

A morally sound person who cares for other human being and society
will always be gentle. We can say that the distinguishable trait of a
morally upright person is gentleness. Gentleness is a value and
quality in one's character. Gentleness can be viewed as a refinement
of character; in difficult times, a thoughtful approach can serve as a
model for others; when one thinks only of oneself, and not also of
others, then it is easy to hurt others unintentionally. It's true that
we live in a harsh world, but it's also true that gentleness invades
that harshness with its own kind of beauty.

Gentleness is a way of life, showing our love in how we interact
with people, and things. Like any way of life, gentleness has to be
practiced for us to become more gentle. If we want to become more
gentle, we must take active steps, that is (1) choosing to be more
gentle, (2) keeping this resolution in mind, (3) acting in gentleness,
and (4) catching ourselves when we are not gentle so that we can be
more aware of our gentleness or lack of gentleness in the future.
Gentleness means recognizing that the world around us is fragile,
especially other people. It is recognizing our own capacity to do harm
and choosing instead to be tender, soft-spoken, soft-hearted, and
careful. When we are gentle we touch the world in ways that protect
and preserve it. Being gentle doesn't mean being weak; gentleness can
be firm, even powerful. To behave in a gentle manner requires that we
stay centered in our own values and strength -- that we are active
rather than reactive. Coming from this center, a gentle word or touch
can channel our energy into healing or making peace. One of the main
themes of Plato's Phaedo is the idea of the good life. But what is the
good life? According to Plato what is most central to the good life is
not the consequence of maximized bodily pleasures; rather it is the
kind of life that best serves the nature of the soul. Discovering the
nature of the soul can only be discovered through the practice of
philosophy.

A gentle person will surely contribute greatly to build a morally
sound and good society, for a gentle person can never hurt the
feelings of others. The root cause of many of the immoral activates
is the hurt people received from others. There fore by being gentle
we contribute greatly to build a just and moral society.

ORDER, Juby Chacko

ORDER
In philosophy, the natural order is the moral source from which
natural law seeks to derive its authority. It encompasses the natural
relations of beings to one another, in the absence of law, which
natural law attempts to reinforce. In nature we find order every
where, any human act which is intended to change that natural order
can be considered as an immoral activity. For what ever God has made
is good and beautiful, and it is He who has put the order in the
nature. The positive laws are made to maintain the social order.
Any violation of the law will certainly affect the social order
there for the violations of the laws are punished in proportion to the
offence committed.
Order, views as a structured state of affairs rather than as a
command, has been a perennial concern of social ethics, in
philosophical and theological contexts. Christian social ethics has
traditionally emphasized the need of order and threat of disorder
because of its convictions about the universality of sin and God's
will to preserve the world from chaos. Thus, order is views as
requirements of love. Order is not only a matter of rational
calculation, for it is dependent on forces beyond human control and is
construed as a matter of divine providence.
Where there is order there is love and beauty and where there is love
and beauty there is morality. What distinguishes a morally upright
society from immoral society is orderliness. Sin can be considered
as the result of disorder.
As the responsible member of the human society it is our moral
obligation to keep the order in ones own life as well as in the
nature. By maintaining the natural order we are building a moral
society. An orderly man naturally tends to move toward implementing
the society based on a moral system, for order is the law of God and
nature.

DIVINITY, Juby Chacko

DIVINITY

A divine command approach has been widely presupposed as the natural
moral expression of piety. Most plausible is the view that moral
duties, right wrongs and other aspects of moral obligations are some
way logically derived from God's command. Value judgments (judgments
as to what is good, desirable, worthwhile etc.) are more appropriately
tied to divine approval rather than command.

The divinity was always the most effective motive for leading a good
life. People lead a moral life mainly due to two things; first and
the perfect one is that they preserved a moral order because of the
love of God. The second and the not so perfect one is that they
pre4served a moral order due to their fear of God. What ever be the
reason the sense of God has helped the humanity to keep a high
morality in this world.

But we also come across instances where morality suffered due to
divinity for example in the Hebrew Bible we come across a God who
utterly destroys the adversaries of the Israelites. There is no doubt
that the action of the Israelites under the command of Yahweh is an
action much below the high ethical norms. The slaughtering of the
innocents in the OT is in direct conflict with the religion taught by
Jesus in NT. In Islam we come across a God who keeps the people as
his salves, when we consider the slavery of any kind as an immoral
one.

If we analysis the world history we understand that most of the wars
were fought in the name of God. Terrorism, religious fanaticism
etc., are all perverted forms of love towards God, because they all
try to create a good and moral society by the wrong means.

So we can conclude that the sense of divine is a double edged sword.
It is at the same time the motive for keeping a right moral order and
also an immoral society. By the right interpretation of God's word
will help to build up a just and morals world and the wrong
interpretation of the same will bring only misery and evil to the
world.

RACISM, Jithin P Anto

Racism

If the people around us are reliable, we can assert that there is a good deal of racism in all spears of life. People and politics in the United States, in the Eastern and Western Europe, in Asia and Africa are regularly described as "racist." We know the commotion that took place in Australia on racist remotes. Britain has even a racist emigration policy; racism is on the rise in France. We speak a lot about racism but there is no one to speak about what it is, or to explain what is wrong with it?  Racism is widely seen in every spear of human life. The concept of racism is in a worse than what actually we know about it. For much of what we say about it is inconsistent and insufficient.  

Most of the people with whom we discuss this issue of racism would want to object that this discussion of racist moral misses something absolutely crucial to the character of the psychological and sociological reality of racism.

Racism insoles both propositions and dispositions. The propositions are, that there are races, that these races are morally significant either because they are contingently co-related with morally relevant properties or because they are intrinsically morally significant. The disposition is a tendency to assent to falls propositions, both moral and theoretical.

So far as the theory is concerned it is be believed that racialism is false; since theoretical racism presupposes racialism we may not be able to any kind of support for racism of any kind. Even if racialism were true, the theoretical part of it would be incorrect. Racism is false also because the genes that account the grows morphological differences that underlie our standard racial categories are not linked to those genes that determine one's moral and intellectual characters.

Racism is also mistaken because it breaches the Kantian imperative to make moral distinguishes only on morally relevant grounds. This happens when there are no reasons to believe that race is morally relevant, and also no reason to suppose that races are like families and communities in providing spear of ethical life that rightly escapes the demands of a universe of moral values.

CONTENTMENT, Sathish A.

CONTENTMENT, Sathish A.

 Contentment comes not so much from greater wealth as from fewer wants, is a saying which would possibly enable us to understand the meaning of the word, 'contentment' but not fully rather a bit. It generally means, 'desiring no more than what one has, and being satisfied with whatever one has. It also has some different meaning they are; 'ready to accept or acquiesce, willing, satisfaction and at last, be satisfied with things as they are. In other words, it means 'the state of being contented, satisfaction' and so this indicates or refers to a state of DESIRELESSNESS. It can be cultivated by enjoying one's life without comparing it with that of another.

            As we have already seen the different meanings of the word 'contentment' in the first paragraph, so according to that I would like to proceed further. We all know that 'contentment' means satisfaction, it is not only in the area of things that are seen but it also displays our content in the work or job that we do, the responsibility that we take up and the people that we meet or speak to. We find some people who are not happy at all, though they have done something well, whether their work or responsibility or anything that they do, still they are not satisfied.

            And therefore, what we need to learn is, it is very important to feel 'contentment' in anything that we do, and when we do that we ourselves feel four 'ness' they are nothing but 'peacefulness, stillness, calmness and eventually happiness' in our life. So we all may not get what we like or expect of in our lives because our desires, likings and wills. And I also remember a saying 'our wants are unlimited or enormous' that makes me to pause for a while, think and it shoots at me a question, am I satisfied in whatever I do in my life?

            I hope that this may be the question that drives everybody to answer to, for we can't attain whatever we expect in our lives because some of us may get some of the things that they expected but many of us may not receive what we like or expect in our lives. And so, let us all be content and happy with what we have and what we get in life.       

 

 

 

THE LAND ETIHIC, Jithin P Anto

The Land Ethic

The ethical structure has changed immensely over the years. The ethical criteria have been extended to many fields of human conduct. This extension of ethics, so for studied only by philosophers, is a process in ecological evolution. Its sequence can be found both in ecologically and in philosophical terms.

In the beginning ethics dealt with the relation between individuals. Later we find that it was extended to the society – democracy to integrate social organizations to the individual. There is yet no ethic dealing with man's relation to land and the animals and plants. Land is considered as property, the disposal of property is a matter of expediency, not of right and wrong. The land relation is still very economic. It entails only privileges not obligations.

The land ethic simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.  Though this sounds simple when it comes as an obligation we do not possesses a brave heart.  We can be ethical only in relation to something we can see, feel, understand, love, or other ways have faith in.  The trend of evolution has not planted in us a special feeling for land.  Land is not merely soil; it is a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils, plants and animals. When a change occurs in one part of the circuit, many other parts must have to adjust themselves to it. Though the change does not necessarily obstruct or divert the flow of energy because evolutionary changes are usually slow and local. Because of our over use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers many species of faunas and floras get out of bounds. And others are extinguished. Another change torches the flow of energy through plants and animals and its return to the soil. Because of improper and unorganized ways of cultivation and urbanization through deforestation, cause erosion of the soil and loses its fertility. Water which is the part of the energy circuit is polluted by industries or obstructed with dams. This excludes the plants and animals necessary to keep energy in circulation.  It is inconceivable that ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land, and a high regard for its value; value in the philosophical sense. Therefore we must understand ecology well and be educated in the use of land. The use of land should be in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right. We are in need of gentler and more objective criteria for the successful use of land.

OPENNESS, Anjo Valikudath

Openness

Openness is the companion virtue to loyalty. Openness is not the same thing as emptiness; it doesn't mean abandoning everything. But a radical openness, anchored by loyalty to one's core mission and values, is a critical component in a benchmark ethics. Open people and organizations are more likely to succeed in business terms and more likely to contribute to good lives for individuals and communities. Think of the opposite traits: closed-mindedness, narrowness, and rigidity. We would call those "vices" because they represent an unwillingness to learn and grow a stifling of creativity and freedom, an arrogance and self-satisfaction that can easily slide into bigotry and worse. Openness is the virtue; "closed" is the vice. Openness needs to be practiced in at least three directions. First, openness is directed toward people. Openness is receptive to others, inclusive rather than exclusive. It is welcoming of diversity. It values others, and seeks to discover the gifts and talents of those others. It welcomes connections and relationships around the world and across all divisions within our own society. It learns how to listen with patient attention and how to speak the language of the other. It learns the customs and culture of others and seeks to show respect. Openness has a second direction toward ideas. This is "intellectual openness" openness to creativity, innovation, and novelty. Third, and finally, openness is directed toward criticism. It is easy to be open to innovative, creative ideas that strengthen our opinions and proposals; openness to criticism is far more difficult. Openness to criticism is a source of strength. It will help us discover problems and cut our losses while they are relatively small, rather than getting really nailed farther down the road. This third kind of openness takes some humility, courage, and strength of character. Moral/ethical criticism refuses to allow technological rationality or market mechanisms to operate unimpeded, unquestioned about impacts on people. It is not content to justify itself by saying "everybody else is doing it, so I will too." It doesn't just ask "what is profitable?" or "what is effective?" but "what is right?"Openness is a fundamental character virtue for good organizations and their leaders in all times and places. Both of these arguments, as well as common discourse on openness, seem to connote openness to freedom. If it is real freedom we're talking about I would have no problem with these arguments and with the prioritization of openness. It is the most fundamental freedom, and it is a freedom to choose of one's own free will. This does not refer to the guarantee of many choices.

HOSPITALITY, Anjo Valikudath

Hospitality

The word hospitality derives from the Latin hospes, which is formed from hostis, which originally meant "to have power." The meaning of "host" can be literally read as "lord of strangers." Hostire means "equalize or compensate. Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. In the contemporary West, hospitality is rarely a matter of protection and survival, and is more associated with etiquette and entertainment. However, it still involves showing respect for one's guests, providing for their needs, and treating them as equals. Cultures and subcultures vary in the extent to which one is expected to show hospitality to strangers, as opposed to personal friends or members of one's in-group.In India, hospitality is based on the principle Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning "the guest is God." This principle is shown in a number of stories where a guest is literally a god who rewards the provider of hospitality. From this stems the Indian approach of graciousness towards guests at home, and in all social situations. Hospitality refers to the relationship process between a guest and a host, and it also refers to the act or practice of being hospitable, that is, the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, with liberality and goodwill. Hospitality frequently refers to the hospitality industry jobs for hotels, restaurants, casinos, catering, resorts, clubs and any other service position that deals with tourists. Hospitality is also known as the act of generously providing care and kindness to whomever is in need. Hospitality is the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. It also is the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way. Celtic societies also valued the concept of hospitality, especially in terms of protection. A host who granted a person's request for refuge was expected not only to provide food and shelter to his/her guest, but to make sure they did not come to harm while under their care. The aroma of sizzling vegetables, warm curry, lentils, and rice greets guests as they enter the foyer of a traditional Indian home. Simple gestures such as the, "Namastey," or the folding of hands by members of the hosting family, depict both ritual and respect. Such greetings and hospitality transcend even the traditional American belief that, "Home is where the heart is." Because the home is a reflection of an Indian family's life and pride, most go to great lengths to make a visitor feel comfortable and secure. Accordingly, Indian hospitality is a reflection of the family, their home, their culture, and their country. 

CONSCIOUS, Milner Vithayathil

conscious
One will be morally right, if his/her conscious is on right track.
Without the support of the consciousness one can't justify his/her
moral activities. The very definition of morality is evident for it.
Therefore all the right actions can't be moral without the ground of
consciousness. All the evil things that are happening in this world
can't dump in the basket of bad things, sometimes it may unknowingly.
At the same time we should also know that there a lot of plotted
murders, they are all morally wrong. Now let's get into meaning of
the term conscious
Conscious is an state of mind, where one is aware of right from wrong.
Moral evaluations of this type may reference values or norms
(principles and rules). In psychological terms conscience is often
described as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits
actions that go against his/her moral values, and to feelings of
rectitude or integrity when actions conform to such norms. The extent
to which conscious informs moral judgment before an action and whether
such moral judgments are, or should be, based wholly in reason has
occasioned debate through much of the history of Western philosophy.
Religious views of conscious usually see it as linked to a morality
inherent in all humans, to a beneficent universe and/or to divinity.
The diverse ritualistic, mythical, doctrinal, legal, institutional and
material features of religion may not necessarily cohere with
experiential, emotive, spiritual or contemplative considerations about
the origin and operation of conscience. Common secular or scientific
views regard the capacity for conscience as probably genetically
determined, with its subject matter probably learned, or imprinted
(like language) as part of a culture.
From the part of religious view God has created us as moral beings
that are personally accountable to him, and created us for fellowship
with him, he has given us a built-in moral conscience. In Romans,
chapter 2, Paul is speaking about those peoples of the world who have
never had the privilege of being given God's moral law as the Jewish
people had. He says, "Some people naturally obey the Law's commands,
even though they don't have the Law. This proves that the conscience
is like a law written in the human heart. And it will show whether we
are forgiven or condemned, when God has Jesus Christ judge everyone's
secret thoughts, just as my message says"
When stormy wind arises
Stick to your conscience
There you find your right in you
&
There you find your wrong in you
Search it out and try it

LAW, Jithin Jose

Law is a set of norms, which can be seen both in a sociological or in a philosophical sense. Law is a system of rules and guidelines, usually enforced through a set of institution. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on derivatives markets. Property law defines rights and obligations related to the transfer and title of personal and real property. Trust law applies to assets held for investment and financial security, while tort law allows claims for compensation if a person's rights or property are harmed. If the harm is criminalised in a statute, criminal law offers means by which the state can prosecute the perpetrator. Constitutional law provides a framework for the creation of law, the protection of human right and the election of political representatives. Administrative law is used to review the decisions of government agencies, while international law governs affairs between sovereign states in activities ranging from trade to environmental regulation or military action. Legal systems elaborate right and responsibilities in a variety of ways. A general distinction can be made between civil law jurisdictions, which codify their laws, and common law systems, where judge made law is not consolidated. In some countries, religion informs the law. Law provides a rich source of scholarly inquiry, into  legal history,philosophy,  ecconomic analysis or sociology.  Law also raises important and complex issues concerning equality, fairness and justice. "In its majestic equality", said the author Anatole France in 1894, "the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread." In a typical democracy, the central institutions for interpreting and creating law are the three main branches of government, namely an impartial judiciary, a democratic legislature, and an accountable executive. To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public, a government's bureaucracy, the military and police are vital. While all these organs of the state are creatures created and bound by law, an independent legal profession and a vibrant civil society inform and support their progress.

Moral law is a system of guidelines for behavior. These guidelines may or may not be part of a religion, codified in written form, or legally enforceable. For some people moral law is synonymous with the commands of a divine being. For others, moral law is a set of universal rules that should apply to everyone.As a result, Christian moral law and secular law overlap in many situations. For example, murder, theft, prostitution, and other behaviors labeled immoral are also illegal. Moral turpitude is a legal term used to describe a crime that demonstrates depravity in one's public and private life, contrary to what is accepted and customary.

CARE, Jithin Jose

The word "care" means watchful attention; custody; diligence; concern; caution; as opposed to negligence or carelessness. In the law of negligence, the standard of reasonable conduct determines the amount of care to be exercised in a situation. The care taken must be proportional to the apparent risk. As danger increases, commensurate caution must be observed. Slight care is the care persons of ordinary prudence generally exercise in regard to their personal affairs of minimal importance. Reasonable care, also known as ordinary care, is the degree of care, diligence, or precaution that may fairly, ordinarily, and properly be expected or required in consideration of the nature of the action, the subject matter, and the surrounding circumstances. Great care is the degree of care that persons of ordinary prudence usually exercise with respect to their personal affairs of great importance. Another type of care is that which a fiduciary—a person having a duty, created by his or her undertaking, to act primarily for another's benefit—exercises in regard to valuable possessions entrusted to him or her by another. care care killed the cat proverbial expression, late 16th century, which may be compared with curiosity killed the cat; the meaning of care has shifted somewhat from 'worry, grief' to 'care, caution'.
Care Sunday the fifth Sunday in Lent; formerly also, the Sunday preceding Good Friday; Care here means 'sorrow, trouble, grief'. Don't care was made to care traditional rebuke to someone who asserts their lack of concern; first words of a children's rhyme ('Don't care was made to care, don't care was hung') recorded from the mid 20th century.

Taking Care is feeling for that person thinking what that person would think and acting accordingly. Taking care is something which should come from heart out of sheer intensity and honesty. it cannot be learnt. it is trying to understand that other person - like whether he got up correctly, bath, breakfast lunch dinner, safe travel, money contentment, comfort in bed in home, whether his space is ok at home and such other things and acting accordingly.

Care is to give or pay serious attention to people or things or animals. People could be cared by giving proper attention to their needs.For example,children are to be cared for their timely feeding,dressing and playing.School children for their school activities and studies; Teenagers for their careers and love or marriage affairs; Wife for her sentiments and husband for his dignity; Parents for their respect&regard. Elders for their loneliness and old age problems.

SIN, Milner Vithayathil

Sin
We all heard in class of philosophy of god, sin is the breach of love.
but we can't deny fact of consciousness. To a certain extent, with
the agreement of consciousness one can commit a sinful act. Though law
give much distinction in wrong actions, there is human corner or we
should consider little humanness in all sinful acts. There are many
factors that make a sinful act. Judging a man for commiting murder can
go wrong. Circumstances play a key role in many sinful acts. I am not
justifying any act by explaining the outer layer. still I can assure
that there is no perfect sin. I have a strong view that no sin is
perfect. There is always a loop hole for all sins. No man is wrong.
Way of rightness sometimes go wrong , to that I may call as sin. This,
so called sin is the mistake of right
A sin is an act that violates a known moral rule. The term sin may
also refer to the state of having committed such a violation.
Commonly, the moral code of conduct is decreed by a divine entity,
i.e. divine law. Sin may also refer to refraining from action or
simply desiring to act in violation of a moral norm. Fundamentally,
sin is rebellion against, or resistance to, the direction of supreme
authority, and enmity toward, avoidance of, or hatred of the good. Sin
may also refer to something within human nature that has a proclivity
to sin.
"Sin" is often used to mean an action that is prohibited or considered
wrong. In some religions , sin can refer not only to physical actions
taken, but also to thoughts and internalized motivations and feelings.
Colloquially, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish,
shameful, harmful, or alienating might be termed "sinful".
An elementary concept of "sin" concerns acts and elements of mundane
earthly living that one cannot take into transcendental living. Food,
for example, while a necessary good for the (health of the temporal)
body, is not of (eternal) transcendental living and therefore its
excessive savoring is considered a sin. A more complex concept of
"sin," elaborated from Catholicism, deals with a distinction between
destructive (deadly) sins (mortal sin) and the merely dishonorable
(harmful) sins of careless human living (venial sin) frequently
tolerated by societies as a whole, or even encouraged by various
cultures. In that context, mortal sins (sacrilege, murder, mortal
violence, devastating calumny, hatred) are said to have the dire
consequence of mortal penalty, while sins of careless living
(gluttony, casual or informal sexuality, constant play, inebriation,
gambling) have been philosophically regarded by some as essential
spice for "transcendent" living, even though these may be destructive
in the context of human living (obesity, drunkenness, vagrancy,
infidelity, child abandonment, criminal negligence).
No man is perfect
No man can't be perfect
Raise above to be perfect

conscious

conscious
One will be morally right, if his/her conscious is on right track.
Without the support of the consciousness one can't justify his/her
moral activities. The very definition of morality is evident for it.
Therefore all the right actions can't be moral without the ground of
consciousness. All the evil things that are happening in this world
can't dump in the basket of bad things, sometimes it may unknowingly.
At the same time we should also know that there a lot of plotted
murders, they are all morally wrong. Now let's get into meaning of
the term conscious
Conscious is an state of mind, where one is aware of right from wrong.
Moral evaluations of this type may reference values or norms
(principles and rules). In psychological terms conscience is often
described as leading to feelings of remorse when a human commits
actions that go against his/her moral values, and to feelings of
rectitude or integrity when actions conform to such norms. The extent
to which conscious informs moral judgment before an action and whether
such moral judgments are, or should be, based wholly in reason has
occasioned debate through much of the history of Western philosophy.
Religious views of conscious usually see it as linked to a morality
inherent in all humans, to a beneficent universe and/or to divinity.
The diverse ritualistic, mythical, doctrinal, legal, institutional and
material features of religion may not necessarily cohere with
experiential, emotive, spiritual or contemplative considerations about
the origin and operation of conscience. Common secular or scientific
views regard the capacity for conscience as probably genetically
determined, with its subject matter probably learned, or imprinted
(like language) as part of a culture.
From the part of religious view God has created us as moral beings
that are personally accountable to him, and created us for fellowship
with him, he has given us a built-in moral conscience. In Romans,
chapter 2, Paul is speaking about those peoples of the world who have
never had the privilege of being given God's moral law as the Jewish
people had. He says, "Some people naturally obey the Law's commands,
even though they don't have the Law. This proves that the conscience
is like a law written in the human heart. And it will show whether we
are forgiven or condemned, when God has Jesus Christ judge everyone's
secret thoughts, just as my message says"
When stormy wind arises
Stick to your conscience
There you find your right in you
&
There you find your wrong in you
Search it out and try it

FRUGALITY, Ranjit Dungdung

FRUGALITY Frugality is the quality of being frugal, sparing, thrifty, prudent or economical in the use of consumable resources such as food, time or money, avoiding waste, lavishness or extravagance. In some contexts it may also be the practice of acquiring goods and services in a restrained manner, and resourcefully using already owned economic goods and services, to achieve a longer term goal. Common strategies of frugality include the reduction of waste, curbing costly habits, suppressing instant gratification by means of fiscal self-restraint, seeking efficiency, avoiding traps, defying expensive social norms, embracing cost-free options, using barter, and staying well-informed about local circumstances and both market and product/service realities. Frugal living is practiced by those who aim to cut expenses, have more money, and get the most they possibly can from their money. Frugality, in the context of certain belief systems, is a philosophy in which one does not trust (or is deeply wary of) "expert" knowledge, often from commercial markets or corporate cultures, claiming to know what is in the best economic, material, or spiritual interests of the individual. Different spiritual communities consider frugality to be a virtue or a spiritual discipline. The Religious Society of Friends and the Puritans are examples of such groups. The basic philosophy behind this is the idea that people ought to save money in order to allocate it to more charitable purposes, such as helping others in need. This moral value gives constant, boost to the lives of people reminding about the use of the good by prudential use of the material good as such food, money and so on. Besides these it also in the ethical point of view suggests not to misuse the moral goods and virtues like love, sympathy, generosity, knowledge, etc, to make, life meaningful and morally sound. So anything that we use in daily life for our sustenance, as all the material things, so also the natural properties like water should be used sparingly, without wasting unnecessarily. Many a time what happens is that due to carelessness the sense of frugality is extinguished from the mind of people and it results are the wide misuse of things that can be witnessed in today's world. There are also environmentalists who consider frugality to be a virtue, through which humans can make use of their ancestral skills as hunter-gatherers, carrying little and needing little, and finding meaning in nature instead of man-made conventions or religion. Henry David Thoreau expressed a similar philosophy in Walden, with his zest for self-reliance and minimal possessions while living simply in the woods.

AMORALIMS, Ranjit Dungdung

AMORALISM  The amoralist regards moral considerations as wrongheaded, unimportant, or otherwise seriously objectionable. The moralists of interest because reflection on such an can be part of an exploration of how moral consideration can be motivating and what kind of authority moral considerations do or should have for a rational agent. For instant, is the amoralist guilty of irrationality? If an abnormal agent sees that certain considerations are regarded by others as normally decisive reasons but this agent is unmoved by them, is that a failure of understanding, or dose the amoralist simply lack certain feelings or concern that others have and regard as important? In some respects the amoralist plays a role in ethics that is a counterpart to the role played by the skeptic in epistemology. In each case consideration of that role is a method of testing the justifications if claims and seeing if they can meet certain important challenges. It can also be a way of testing whether those challengers are as genuine or as powerful as they are typically claimed be. Consideration of amoralist is an instructive way to explore what sorts of concerns and motives are needed in order for an agent to be a full-fledged participant in the moral world. Kant held that participation in a matter of morality while others, such as Hume, held it is a matter of having a certain kind of sensibility that is natural to us even if it needs to be expended and encouraged in certain ways. An exploration of moralism can be illuminating in respect of whether the position is rational opinion, something a rational agent might genuinely consider for adoption. A weak-willed agent recognizes the weight of moral reasons but fails to act accordingly. The amoralist is simply unmoved by moral reasons- he does not see that they count in favour of the actions they point to as morally required. The amoralist is to distinguish from the vicious agent. That is someone who is committed to moral values but they are wrong or perverse values. Due to the fact that the amoralist do not consider the values as the moral principles. They do not act according to what is morally considered to be virtuous or morally right. When deciding how to act, morally right we often are often faced with uncertainty over, confusion about, or conflicts between, our inclinations, desires, or interest. And these confusion and uncertainties often leads us to promote our self-interests only. But for the amoralist are seriously against the decision to act, for them it has of no moral significant.

HIERARCHY, Jithin P Anto

Hierarchy

 

A hierarchy is understood as arrangement of items or people in which they are represented as being 'above', 'below', or 'at the same level as' one another. A hierarchy can connect entities either directly or indirectly. The only direct link in a hierarchy is to ones immediate superior or to one's subordinate. A large hierarchical system can also incorporate alternative hierarchies.

Ethics and morality arise from our need to give a defensible meaning to the decisions we make in relationships relevant to these processes whether epistemologically in connection with others of our kind, or ontologically supporting the real planetary and universal resources in which we are. With reason alone one cannot resolve the problems that we face. Ethical challenges have a huge role in stabilizing and sustaining or planet and ourselves. The choices that we face are neither clearly right nor wrong. We make true choices when we are faced with in the seemingly right and seemingly wrong. Though we are not enabled by magical powers to distinguish between these, yet we are faced with such choices and these kinds of conceptual choices are at the very heart of hierarchy theory.

When we look into different cultures of the world, we are assured of the presence of hierarchy in all of them. The Indian civilization is built upon the progresses made by the growing hierarchical society.  Hierarchical society is very apparent in the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion has a community of the superiors and the inferiors. This happens only when the society is hierarchical. This has often caused trouble in the growth of man and the society. For example, the high cast Brahmins never wanted that their subordinates enjoy equal rights and freedom, which in turn caused agitation. The

Christian community too is clearly hierarchical. The highest place is granted to the Pope and the ordinary lay men and women occupy the bottom space. All these are evidences for how the concept of hierarchy has crept into the human minds. It has become a norm to everyone and every society that there be a system that is hierarchical. Problem arises not with the idea but when everyone wants to be at the apex. This problem of possessing the top seat has caused the death of hundreds of people throughout the history. Therefore we must critically examine and seriously deal with the role of hierarchy in the development of a moral society.