Some Reflections on Ethics

By Dr. Ramendra

"The aim of a rational ethics should be to maximize freedom and avenues of happiness and to minimize avoidable suffering."

In this highly thought provoking and stimulating book, the author, Dr. Ramendra, has briefly and critically discussed the ethical ideas of G. E. Moore, Bertrand Russell, Lokayat, Buddha, Epicurus and John Stuart Mill before expounding his own ideas in a logical manner. The author has convincingly advocated a rational ethics based on human needs and desires.

'Some Reflections on Ethics' was first published on the internet in 2008. It's first print edition was published in 2012. The author, Dr. Ramendra, made some changes for the print edition. Those changes have been retained in this second revised internet edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dr. Ramendra
• Release date: Mar 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301121120

Dr. Ramendra

Dr. Ramendra (full name "Ramendra Nath") is presently working as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Philosophy at Patna College, Patna University, India; where he has been teaching for thirty years. He is a double gold medalist and double research degree holder from Patna University. His Ph. D was on "The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell" and his D. Lit. Was on "M. N. Roy's New Humanism and Materialism". Both these works have been published as books. Dr. Ramendra is the author of nearly thirty books and booklets in Hindi and English, including 'Why I am Not a Hindu', 'Is God Dead?, 'The Myth of Unity of all Religions' and 'Some Reflections on Ethics'. Besides, he has written hundreds of articles in newspapers, magazines and journals. Dr. Ramendra (born 1957) is married to Dr. Kawaljeet Kaur since 1981. Dr. Ramendra, along with his wife, is the co-founder of Buddhiwadi Samaj (Rationalist Society) and Buddhiwadi Foundation, two internationally known organizations for promoting rationalism and humanism. Dr. Ramendra's only daughter, Priya, is a software engineer and she works actively for the Buddhiwadi Foundation.

Book preview

Some Reflections on Ethics

by Dr. Ramendra

Internet edition first published in 2008, second revised edition 2013

First print edition 2012

Published by the Buddhiwadi Foundation

Copyright Ramendra 2008-2013

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Smashwords Edition

License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people.

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Cover design by Sagar

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Also by Dr. Ramendra, Published at Smashwords:

Why I am Not a Hindu

Is God Dead?

The Myth of Unity of all Religions

The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell

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Table of Contents

Foreword

Preface to the first internet edition

Preface to the second internet edition

Introduction

Chapter 1. On G. E. Moore

Chapter 2. Normative Ethics and Metaethics

Chapter 3. On Lokayat

Chapter 4. On Buddha

Chapter 5. On Epicurus

Chapter 6. On John Stuart Mill

Chapter 7. Some False Dichotomies

Appendix1 The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell

Appendix 2 Ethics in my earlier writings

Bibliography

About the Author

Some Reflections on Ethics

Introduction

My original interest in philosophy was stimulated by ethics. I became interested in ethics through my interest in social and political problems. In fact, I came to philosophy in search of a rational morality, at least as rational as possible. I believed, and still believe, that scientific method is the best method for resolving factual disagreements and arriving at conclusions regarding what is the case.

However, I could not accept that the denotation of the term rational was the same as the denotation of the term scientific. I believed that there could be a method, not scientific in the empirical sense, yet rational, for resolving ethical disagreements or disagreements regarding what ought to be. The fact that the scientific method alone could not solve the fundamental problems of values, so I thought, in no way reduced the importance of such problems. They remain as fundamental and important as ever. On the other hand, the fact that the scientific method alone could not give an answer to the fundamental questions of ethics did not reduce in any way the importance of scientific method in the sphere of facts.

I had hoped that studying philosophy could help me in finding a rational method for resolving ethical disagreements or, in other words, in arriving at a rational morality. A technical discussion of my ethical ideas is contained in the critical part of my research-paper The Ethical Philosophy of Bertrand Russell, which is based on my book of the same title.(See, Appendix 1)

However, my ethical ideas are interwoven in all of my important philosophical writings, even when they do not deal directly or specifically with ethics.(See, Appendix 2 for details)

In my research-paper on Bertrand Russell’s ethics, to begin with, I have supported Russell’s ethical non-cognitivism or the view that ethical statements cannot be true or false like factual ones. As I have said:

It appears to me that, as far as Russell’s non-cognitivism is concerned, his arguments are incontrovertible. He is right in maintaining that in ethical disagreements of fundamental nature we cannot give arguments or evidence of the kind we can in scientific and factual disagreements. In addition, that this is so because ethical statements are not fact-stating even when expressed in indicative mood, though they have been confused as such by a long line of ethical philosophers. A statement like We ought to pursue happiness as an end or Happiness is good in itself is not a factual one, because it does not assert what is the case but recommends what ought to be the case.

We call a factual statement true if there is a corresponding fact. However, since ethical statements do not state facts, there is no question of there being a corresponding fact or the statement being true or false in the sense in which factual statements are.

Once we grant that non-cognitivism is true, we also have to admit that the attempts made by different cognitivist philosophers were misdirected to some extent, and that we have to make attempts in somewhat different direction, if we are to solve the problems of ethics at all.

Ethics, it is true, owing to the very nature of its problems cannot be objective in the sense in which physical sciences are. This, however, does not mean that reason has no role to play in ethical matters. As far as means are concerned, reason certainly plays a role. Moreover, even the ends need not be totally arbitrary. Both ends and means have to be compatible with the reality.

Besides,