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Spiritual Ethics in Action
Spiritual Ethics in Action
Defining Spirituality
What is the role of spirituality in mainstream US culture today?
History Continued
India
Hinduism-faces of one God, Brahma (creator), Vishnu (sustainer), Shiva (destroyer), mysticism, yoga (spiritual self-discipline), and liberation from suffering. Buddism, life is suffering, suffering comes from selfish desire, desire can be eliminated, enlightenment and Nirvana, reality is a series of momentary existences, everything is linked through a causal chain.
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China
Confucianism-harmonious community, jen (social virtue) [virtue vs. law], li (observing ceremonial forms), disciplined exercise to achieve spiritual mastery over oneself, chi (energy). Taoism, tuning the inner person to the rhythms of nature, the Way of the universe, life and death are a part of the yin and yang.
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The Greeks
What is reality? Thales-water, Anaximanderearth, air, fire, and water, Pythagorasmathematics, Heraclitus-fire, Parmenides & Zeno-reality and appearance (no change), Democritus-atoms.
Socrates & Plato-innate goodness, idealism (world of forms & ideas), material world is a shadow.
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Aristotle-people have a purpose (and end) Happiness (virtuous activity in accordance with reason), virtue involves an optimum balance and measure in ones behavior (the mean between extremes), realism, substance and essence.
History Continued
Christianity-mercy and forgiveness, love God with ones whole heart and love ones neighbor as oneself, sacrifice of Jesus, redemption for mans sins, individual salvation.
History Continued
Islam-monotheism, Allah, justice (reward good and punish evil), jihad (war against evil), people have an inner jihad, Allah distributes justice in the afterlife. The Middle Ages-proof of Gods existence, ethics relies on Gods existence. Plotinus, the Great Chain of Being, all of reality is connected, from lower sense reality to the higher spiritual reality. World of Sense Soul Divine Mind The Absolute Source.
Reactions to Modernism
Utilitarianism-(industrial revolution) greatest good for the greatest number. Romanticism-return to a more simple and integrated world. Existentialism-we create our own worldNietzsche (God is dead)-Kierkegaard(leap of faith). Marxism-dialectical materialism
More Reactions
Unconscious-Freud, irrationality Pragmatism-learn by doing, what works, Dewey Logic-mathematics (Russell, Husserl and Whitehead) Mysticism-transforming our consciousness to access higher orders of reality Unified Field Theory-Cosmos, Newtonian, Quantum Post Modernism-feminism (Gilligan) and social constructionism