Jeff Love can pervade our character so fully as to motivate the exercise of all the virtues implied in the previous discussed segments of this philosophy. As we grow we become more like God, who enables us to participate in his goodness. This truth the Sufis celebrate: when someone loves God, “God beautifies his character traits, … Read more
Truly great people have appropriate expectations for the rest of us. Darwin did not expect every amateur who assisted his inquiry to dedicate his or her life to science. Socrates did not expect every conversation partner to drop his occupation and become a full-time philosopher. Jesus did not expect all of his followers to commit … Read more
The writings of Russian revolutionary and Harvard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin (1889-1968) show him as a great theorist of love who realized the intimate connection between love and truth, beauty, and goodness. Sorokin’s life displays all the components emphasized in this philosophy, beginning with a realization of beauty in nature and the arts, truth in … Read more
Abraham Lincoln 1864 There is much to say for the idea that we become good by doing good. As the proverb goes, “Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” Another truth goes deeper. We truly do good on the basis of being good. And … Read more
Mohandas Gandhi To many people there are some obvious ethical truths: society should support family life as well as individual self-realization; economic life should include the service motive as well as the profit motive; political life should pursue the good of the planet as well as the interests of the nation. No matter how obvious … Read more
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, hit by bombs in WWII, preserved as a memorial of that nightmare. Whoever rejoices in the beauty and goodness of truth has to face the shock of facts that are ugly and cruel. When something terrible happens, it is common to ask, “Why me?” or “What did he do to … Read more
Pope John Paul II in 1993 Emotional sympathy and moral reason, despite their essential contributions, do not solve every moral problem. We can be well attuned emotionally and well informed, but sometimes our best thinking does not find the answer, and we spontaneously reach out for higher wisdom. Or we know what we should do, … Read more
Immanuel Kant If the first level of morally active living to treat others with consideration for their feelings, as you want others to do to you, the next level is rule of reason. Treat others in accord with reason, as you want others to do to you. This level of the golden rule can be … Read more
“Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” The advice is familiar. This practice is often associated with the golden rule of treating others as we want to be treated; but we rarely think how the advice should be interpreted. There are two mistakes to avoid. First mistake: Assume that imagining yourself in the other person’s … Read more