The subject of ethics and ethical responsibility are of chief importance in the philosophy of Enlightened Reason. Western philosophers since the days of Pythagoras and Socrates have focused on cultivating ethical behavior in human beings, although Aristotle is perhaps the first philosopher to truly analyze and systematize the field of ethics. In the East, Confucius (K'ung-fu-tzu) is most closely associated with the study of ethics, but the teachings of the Buddha are also deeply ethical in nature. While countless schools of philosophy have offered differing ethical systems and well-reasoned explanations and arguments for the development of ethics, all ethical systems are reducible to one fundamental concept: "act with consideration to greatest good that incurs the least harm."
In this way, we can simply say if a person lives their life considering only those actions that help the greatest good, or at least strives to avoid those actions that hurt the greatest good, then he will live a good and moral life. Of course, the interpretation of "greatest good" and "least harm" can vary greatly from an individual point of view. Thus, determining what actions serve the greatest good often requires a full consideration of the circumstance surrounding a decision, facilitated by dispassionate reason. While emotion can certainly grant profound insight and serves to make us compassionate beings, we cannot hope to serve the greatest good if we are driven purely by emotional impulses and nothing more. Making the right choice may not serve ourselves or serve our loved ones, and may at times be counter to our own self-interests. The highest form of this comes in acts of personal sacrifice, when we lay down our own lives, our freedom, our property, or our well-being, in order to save one or more persons.
However, we must never delude ourselves believing that actions we commit solely for ourselves in some way serves a greater good, even if some twisted logical might indicate that they do. In fact, most of our actions and endeavors are done strictly in our own self-interest, and these actions and endeavors are usually innocent and harmless until they clash with the greatest good. As a result, every action we take must be weighed against these questions: "What impact does this have with the greatest good? Will it cause hardship or anguish for one or more persons? Is there a different choice I can make that serves the greatest good or which does the least harm?" Only in this way can we hope to serve the greatest good and to live a good, ethical, and virtuous life.
Virtue, as it is defined by most philosophers, is living in conformity with moral and ethical principles. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, virtue was the guiding beacon that led a person to achieve an excellent and rewarding life, whatever their circumstances might have been. In this respect, the virtues are human qualities that reflect an ethical way of life, not something dictated by a supernatural being or divine godhead. Temperance, Prudence, Courage, and Justice are the four Cardinal Virtues, first defined by Plato and later expounded upon by Aristotle. Temperance is the practice of moderation, or simply the idea that excess should always be avoided. Prudence is often considered to be synonymous with wisdom or reason, and is the act of weighing consequences to arrive at a solution that does the most good or least harm. Courage, sometimes called Fortitude, is the ability to face danger, difficulty, or suffering and the strength to persevere even under the most dire circumstances. Finally, Justice essentially means fairness, equality, and the dispensing of punishment or rewards according only to what is deserved.
By following these ethical principles and aspiring to live by the guiding lights of virtue, one can achieve an excellent and rewarding life. The 22 Apothegms of Enlightenment embody the ethical principles and virtues held by the philosophy of Enlightened Reason, and should be observed with mindful consideration by anyone seeking to lead a more intellectually enlightened way of life.