Ethics (Moral Principles)

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They are about having “Moral Principles” that govern our behavior and it comes from having knowledge that deals with moral principles but what are moral principles?

“Moral principles of, relating to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes. expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work; founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom; capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct; conforming to the rules of right conduct (opposed to immoral ); of, relating to, or acting on the mind, feelings, will, or character; the moral teaching or practical lesson contained in a fable, tale, experience, etc.; the embodiment or type of something; morals, principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.”

Now, once one reads the above set of definitions they will instinctively and automatically make assumptions, assumptions as to what right and wrong are; what ethical means; what moral attitudes are; what truths and right conduct are according to their belief systems. Those belief systems are most often generated from influences of family, friends and social group dynamics all the way up to the social construct as to membership through and with all levels between. 

What gets missed is this, “Criminals and other such groups also have moral principles that govern their behavior but their belief system as to what those moral principles are differ even if the above definitions remain unchanged. The righteous tend to assume their moral principles are “The Moral Principles” to which all others must adhere to in life but that is just not so. 

One reason some folks make the assumption as to moral principles that reflect shock, horror and disbelief when encountering anyone or anything outside that moral world is because they just can’t accept that there are other moral principles that may reflect principles that are the absolute opposite of what they believe. This helps explain why belief systems become so ingrained and rigid where even in the face of enlightenment, truth, and justice many will not, cannot and are adverse to changing such beliefs. 

A criminal looks to crime the same way a non-criminal looks to their job as a means of earning an income. The feelings one has when a part of a job that feeds human needs such as security and safety are the same for the criminal. Their job is to find resources that can readily be converted into the resources they need to do the very same things others with the proverbial acceptable job needs, i.e., sources of income so that they may feed their survival needs for food, shelter and protection against conflict and violence and so on etc. etc. etc.

Criminals have ethics as defined by those who assume they hold the moral high ground. The only true advantage the moral high have is numbers. Numbers because of what is, in modern times, generally accepted as a moral standing. Some assume that the laws driven by religion are the moral principles every single human must adhere to yet those of a less religious yet more philosophical can also hold that same ground. If this is even remotely true then one can accept that criminals can also hold the moral standing that differs greatly from the generally accepted stand of moral ground. 

If we truly accept one set of ethics, moral principles, while not accepting the others then we justify our resistance of that supposed lessor moral standing and by nature will give great effort to either suppress it to acceptable levels or remove it completely be it by total destruction or to cast it and them out similar to how groups would punish members by throwing them out of the group. Losing membership is about survival and those thrown out tend to not survive - at least historically speaking. (think banishment here)

How many times throughout human history has one group defeated another making the winners the morally right group tho the differences in principles being opposite in the spectrum of moral righteousness?

Now, how does this apply to martial arts? How does this apply to self-defense? How does this apply to fighting? How does this apply to Combatives? How does this apply to sport martial arts? How?

Lets close with these thoughts derived not entirely from a complete quote but rather parts of a quote, i.e., “As to morals, that kindness, meekness, humility, etc., become ‘virtues’ within a moral system born under social conditions in which people were subject to others while in a society of conquerors they regard valor, strength, and even cruelty (under certain circumstances) as part of goodness and virtue. Finally, one can envision a person who consciously creates his or her own values and thus lives ‘beyond good and evil.’”

Now, don’t that put some different perspective on ethics or moral principles?