ETHICS AND THE UNIVERSALITY OF MORALITY

Ethics is one of the forces shaping the life of human societies and the ethical system contributes to the group's survival and to keep peace and order to satisfy social needs. The definitions of ethics, of what is good and what makes an action right or wrong, varies widely at different times and at different places. However, some basic moral elements are acceptable to most advanced societies. Furthermore, many modern scholastic writers defend the absolute universality of at least some ethical laws. The limitations of universality survives in war, in race discrimination, etc. In modem times, it might be appropriate to search for principles for the universality of morality in ecological considerations. Progress in ethics is lagging far behind and we must understand now, when the complete annihilation of human species is a real possibility, that ethics and philosophy are at least as important as science.