BOOK REVIEW ON THE ETHICAL WORLD BY Devan.M

BOOK REVIEW ON THE ETHICAL WORLD

By Devan.M

Introduction

            "Do Good and avoid Evil" is the moral principle. It is the most important in the moral Philosophy. Here I would like to write about the book review on the Ethical World by Thomas Kadankavil cmi. This book mainly speaking about the ethical development in the West and East. In the Western Thought he began with Greek philosophers, Christian Ethics, Karl Max and Kant. In Eastern Thought he started with the four fold goals of life, spring actions, Moral actions and different Schools of ethics like an Upanishads, Gita, Ramayana and Advaita Vendanta.He includes the theory and practical in the Eastern thought. The saying goes like this "Good is to be rewarded or awarded but the Evil is said to be punished."

The Ethical world is mixed of both Western and Eastern thoughts. Ethics, from its very inception as a speculative science, sought the foundations of the moral behavior of man. While a substantial portion of the moral codes were based on religious beliefs, social customs and traditions. The Christian thinkers starting from St.Thomas Aquinas and the Scholastic period. The Hindu ethics is summarized in the Eastern thought. This book mainly speaking of the Western Thought and the Eastern Thought. This book is divided into two main parts .They are as follows,

 (1) Western Thought

 (2) Eastern Thought.

These two parts are divided into ten chapters. First chapter is Western Schools, Second chapter is Moral Experience, Third chapter is Notion of Obligation, Fourth chapter is Virtues and vices, and Fifth chapter is Analysis of Human Action, Six chapters is the norm of Morality, and the seven is moral Law.

These seven chapters are belonging to the Western thought. The second part of this is Indian Ethical Tradition (A brief account of Theory and Practice). The eight chapters Destiny of Human Life, ninth chapter is Ways of Action: Secular and Sacred and the last chapter is Schools of Ethics. One who goes through the present work would be convinced of the saying of Nietzsche: "He who is a teacher form the very heart takes all things seriously only with reference to his students."Do well and avoid evil is the known for all. So ethical world mainly says about what one should and what one should not do in which he or she lives in the world.

The Evaluation of the Argument

            Thomas Kadankavil discussed the thoughts two difference in the Ethical world. They are as follows.

(1)   Western Thought

(2)   Eastern  Thought

 1. Western Thought

        As a moralist, he engages in his argument, or discussion about what is morally right or wrong, good or evil. A moralist gives us general guidance concerning what to do, what to seek, and how to treat others. Mostly ethical system developed by the Christians thinkers starting from St.Thomas Aquinas and the scholastic period. The ethical thinking of the great masters of the western down through centuries. Western thought is mainly based on the philosophers, Moral experience, Obligation, Virtues and Vices. Human action and the norms of morality. Western thought did not give the practical application. But it gives the theoretical application for the human life.

2. Eastern Thought

He discussed about the human life is so good when he or she follows the four folds goals of life. They are as follows,

(1) Wealth (Artha)

2) Desires (Kama)

 (3) Righteousness (Dharma)

 (4) Liberation (Moksha)

In the schools of ethics clearly speaking of the good and evil or right and wrong .The Eastern thought give the practical application and the theoretical application to the human life.Eastrern thought gives the more examples from the gita, Ramayana and so on. It gives the knowledge to the person to live a life which is meaningful for living on the earth. We may do what ever we want to do but if we have the conscience we may know our inner self and we understand our faults, mistakes and misunderstanding, good and evil and right and wrong. We do mistakes without our conscience.

 

MY ARGUMENT ON THESE TWO KINDS OF THOUGHTS

My way of understanding about this book is more practical application for my day – today living in the world. In western thought the Christian thinkers like St.Thomas Aquinas said that I quote here "None of the earthly ends such as riches honors, power and pleasure, can give true happiness for man." This can only be given by God Himself, the ground and first cause of all being, and unmoved principle of all movements. In western thinker's mainly focused on God because through God we get all the supreme goodness and happiness. In eastern thought gives more practical application to human beings and to the human souls. In Indian tradition it's very difficult to follow the principles to live in the world. It's more uncomfortable and uneasiness for ordinary human person to live in the society.

How ever, it is very easy for the one who does things according to his or her own conscience. Therefore, let us follow the ethics which is important for a being to live in the world. Animals cannot know the ethics because they do not have the common sense for which human beings are gifted from God because we have the common sense and we have capacity to know the things well. The ethical world is the world all ethical norms. "Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right .These is the magic keys to living your life with integrity." In the world no one is good. But God alone is good. I accept this agreement which the author dealt in this book. I agree the facts which are given in the ethical world. Therefore, let's do well to others so that they may also do good deeds to us in retuning all us long for and hope for the future. Let's not hurt others by our words and deeds so that we may not be hurt by others his or her words. Let's do good for others for avoiding the evils or wrong doings.