Each person has their own set of ethics. Some are based off religious doctrine while others are crafted by personal beliefs and experiences. One can simply reference published doctrines and decide to adopt their practices. However, it can be difficult to conjure up a reliable and ethical set of beliefs when there is nothing to reference. The Dalai Lama expresses in his essay that “We need to examine… from the perspective of a global ethics that is grounded in the recognition of fundamental human values that transcend religion and science.” (68). It is possible to be ethically sound without depending on religion, science or life experiences however, there are two main keys that are needed in order to unlock a reliable set of morals.
The first key is finding a wholesome motivation or purpose for one’s actions. In order to achieve a goal, one must work hard and focus on their objective. Unfortunately, a lot of “successful” people today are motivated by empty achievements such as wealth and fame. They normally end up unsatisfied because they can never get enough of it. This leads to them hurting others in order to satisfy themselves. Therefore, the Dalai Lama urges people to be motivated by compassion (70). If one is motivated by compassion, they are less likely to make unethical and selfish sacrifices because their goal would be to help others.
The second key is understanding the potential consequences that come with every decision. For instance, in the Dalai Lama’s essay he explains genome editing and how “we have to bear in mind the long-term impact of this kind of manipulation on the species as a whole.” (66). There are a lot of consequences to consider when it comes to genome editing such as social injustice or issues with the human body. It is dangerous for scientists to overlook these consequences because they could drastically alter our society. Every choice that a person makes has an outcome even if it isn’t big enough to change our society it is still important to at least consider all the outcomes of a decision before making it. This is a good way to decide whether a decision is bad or good.
