[Excerpted from comment to Bob Lewis' Advice Line column]
We all have slightly different views on ethics. It seems to me that to expect that it could be any other way is to invite bloody conflict. Tolerance, and making a supreme effort to understand and find some value in other beliefs matures our own morality as well as promotes peaceful coexistence.
Contrary to the assertions of almost every belief system I've encountered, I don't believe there is such a thing as "absolute truth". There are too many variables. "Truth" is a moving target. It's constantly changing in light of new knowledge and greater understanding. It's called a "search for truth" for a reason... It's a process, not a goal. Whether God created Man or Man created God, what greater meaning could there be to our lives than for that search for truth to lead us to exceed our expectations?
If God is the Father of Man, is not a parent's most profound wish that their children grow into better adults than they? If, on the other hand, Man created God to embody and personify the ideals we should strive for in order to better ourselves and our world, then too is not exceeding those expectations not only desirable, but required to fulfill that destiny?
Whether one is atheist, agnostic or devout, is not the struggle the same... to become more than we are?
We in information technology are at the forefront of the latest great leap our society's ability to understand the world. Unfortunately, it's become painfully obvious that those who don't understand these new technologies and how they've changed our perceptions and behaviors are making highly flawed and destructive decisions. Their ignorance prevents their grasping the ramifications that are all too obvious to the rest of us. Despite our discomfort with the chaotic world of ethics, philosophy and theology, who else is there to bring rationality and maybe even a bit of wisdom to this decision-making?
As technologists, we like certainty. We like absolute truth. But have you noticed that the more complex computers and software get, the more elusive certainty becomes? Is certainty (truth) an illusion... an approximation... a convenience used to simply problems? What happens when our margins of error don't cover the inherent uncertainty that we are masking? If we're flying space shuttles, people die. Thankfully, most of us don't have people's lives in our hands... or do we?
REFERENCES
Enterprise Ethics - by Carlton Vogt, former Infoworld columnist
Origins of Values
[Comment #3 by Robert Watson to the post "Bush ethics adviser gets her principles from Star Trek" and "Update on trekkie ethics adviser " on Enterprise Ethics, Apr 1, 2005 1:09 am ]
Let me offer a counter argument to "I do not see Star Trek as an authoritative ethical source..."
For good or ill, some interpretation of The Bible and Dead Sea Scrolls has become the basis for most of the world's ethics.
The Bible is an anthology of stories designed to illustrate moral (ethical) lessons. Star Trek is an anthology of stories designed to illustrate moral (ethical) lessons. The purpose of both is to educate. The most effective way to educate is to convey knowledge in an entertaining way. It maximizes memory retention.
Since Christianity dominates American values, and Star Trek is written by Americans, most of its lessons are compatible with Christianity -- or at least some interpretation of those biblical teachings. Others have grown out of the application of secular logic to solve societal problems.
Thus, the Star Trek stories could be seen as an offshoot of Christianity much like Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism. It took Christianity several hundred years to rise above the status of "cult" but it has, and now more than a third of the planet's population are Christian. Star Trek lore is just getting started.
Personally, I find the values promoted in Star Trek to be more fair, honest and beneficial to long-term survival of human beings than the divisive, hateful, revenging, oppressive interpretation that dominates Christianity today. It is on that basis that I can say that my principals derive in large part from the Star Trek stories I've watched and read.
If most of the world can base its life and death decisions on 2000 year old stories written by men trying to keep an illiterate and superstitious population from destroying themselves, I can base my values and decisions on the lessons in a far larger set of stories that are much more applicable to the ethical dilemmas we face today.
Let me offer a counter argument to "I do not see Star Trek as an authoritative ethical source..."
For good or ill, some interpretation of The Bible and Dead Sea Scrolls has become the basis for most of the world's ethics.
The Bible is an anthology of stories designed to illustrate moral (ethical) lessons. Star Trek is an anthology of stories designed to illustrate moral (ethical) lessons. The purpose of both is to educate. The most effective way to educate is to convey knowledge in an entertaining way. It maximizes memory retention.
Since Christianity dominates American values, and Star Trek is written by Americans, most of its lessons are compatible with Christianity -- or at least some interpretation of those biblical teachings. Others have grown out of the application of secular logic to solve societal problems.
Thus, the Star Trek stories could be seen as an offshoot of Christianity much like Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism. It took Christianity several hundred years to rise above the status of "cult" but it has, and now more than a third of the planet's population are Christian. Star Trek lore is just getting started.
Personally, I find the values promoted in Star Trek to be more fair, honest and beneficial to long-term survival of human beings than the divisive, hateful, revenging, oppressive interpretation that dominates Christianity today. It is on that basis that I can say that my principals derive in large part from the Star Trek stories I've watched and read.
If most of the world can base its life and death decisions on 2000 year old stories written by men trying to keep an illiterate and superstitious population from destroying themselves, I can base my values and decisions on the lessons in a far larger set of stories that are much more applicable to the ethical dilemmas we face today.
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