IN SEARCH OF REALITY X


A Judgement of Good and Evil





A Study in Thought





by





Marius Heuff

Chapter 1

Content

Goal-oriented behaviour, and the relationships with society.
The mechanisms of cruel behaviour.
Lack of trust; defensive behaviour patterns.
The coarsening of sentiments and attitudes in a mass-synchronisation of emotional behaviour.
Relationships between leaders and the crowd.

From a totally helpless infant, the human being undergoes a remarkable transformation through the gradual emergence of physical and mental capabilities. These transformations lead, eventually, to the formation of a vast and complex, goal-oriented behaviour pattern in the adult organism. The behaviour patterns of the young child are not guided by consciously shaped ambitions, as we see in the adolescent or the adult. In stead, it engages in a relatively blind exploration of the range of instinctively programmed behaviour patterns. The behaviour of the young child is, therefore, more clearly under the influence of its primary instinctive drives, (in so far as they have been developed), compared to adults. A child will therefore show, more clearly, the behaviour of fear and defensiveness, but also, of reckless abandonment and trust.

We have discussed, before, the reasons, why children and, even, adolescents, still require constant supervision, while they are learning to react more appropriately to their experiences and the world around them. Young people need careful guidance, otherwise their mistakes could easily prove to be harmful or, even, fatal, and, during this period of growth to maturity, the young human being accepts, with varying degrees of conscious consent, the leadership and guidance of its parents, elders and influential adults of the immediate social environment.

Many people will never outgrow the need for leadership, even after they have formed their own families and become parents and teachers themselves. Most, if not all of us, seek and accept, at one time or another, the advise and knowledge from other people, and, often, we need a guiding hand to lead us out of a maze of confusing and conflicting impulses and sense impressions.

We have considered the reasons, why the leadership of early human groupings tended to seek guidance in the remembrance of its ancestors and the worship of the many deities and spirits, which had, apparently, some influence on the small community. The communal need for leadership from a spiritual entity would lead to a religious bond, or, a synchronisation of attitudes between leaders and followers. Such a bond would unify the group and facilitate the decision-making processes. These mechanisms are summarised in the concept of a "cultural code", where common beliefs and shared ritual practices provided the necessary harmony in attitude and interpretation in order to make the many risky and uncertain decisions possible.

The development of our mental imagery, and, in particular, the need to give and receive leadership for the many decisions we have to make, as well as the different circumstances we have to cope with, lie at the root of the tendency towards social integration and cohesion. Perhaps, we will be able to link these psychological developments of interdependence to the attitudes of affection and trust, or, perhaps, even, compassion and love. At the same time, the mechanisms that break-down such relationships of interdependence, (fragile, tenuous and evanescent at best), give us an insight into the attitudes of hatred and strife, deceit and cruelty, because these emotions and attitudes are, in essence, the expression of a wounded sense of trust, abused affection, as well as the madly intoxicating effects of too large a measure of power over others. Let us have a look at these relationships, and, let us see, whether or not we can recognise an orderly and logical relationship between these diverse developments and the often erratic mood-swings of human beings.

While growing-up, we place a blind trust in our immediate environment. As an infant, we are completely dependent upon the care given to us. While we do not form specific memory-traces until we are three or four years old, (recallable, later, as specific events or circumstances), the very early experiences determine, to a large extent, how trusting and open, or, how defensive and suspicious we will be throughout our existence.

It would be simplistic to consider these earlier years as the only crucial period for the formation of our personality, and, we all know, from experience, that, throughout childhood and adolescence, specific events and experiences of a psychologically traumatic nature, tend to colour our outlook and moods for a significant period of time. Even the most misanthropic individual has to trust someone, somewhere, and, he has to believe the communications of some people. By the same token, the most credulous and spontaneous individuals will have to learn, out of necessity, to be on their guard for profiteers and opportunists.

It is important to acknowledge, that we all experience a psychological need to accept leadership and advise, from time to time, and, we have a need to submit ourselves, trustfully, to an authority we respect. From our constitutional and psychological make-up it is clear, that the average individual needs a large, daily input of leadership. Ordinary people expect to be told by their political leaders, what they need and what is good for them. Their taste and desires have to be shaped by the merchants of fashions, goods and services. Their questions about life and death have to be answered by their priests and ministers, their psychiatrists, physicians or scientists.

We may well despair, many times, during our efforts to find evidence for an independent awareness or initiative amongst the members of a crowd, until we see, somewhat to our surprise, how the common-sense outlook of a bygone era has been preserved by these unobtrusive, average people. Then, we realise, that the role of ordinary people in the transmission of the cultural heritage may be far more beneficial and important than the superficial, glutinous and greedy activities of the powerful merchants, or the glamorous displays of the spiritual and intellectual elite.

Most of us have to trust a fairly large number of people, because we need a leadership-input in many areas of our interactions with the environment. This trust is easily abused by unscrupulous leaders, but, it may also be turned-off, almost whimsically, by an impatient and non-understanding populace, when its leaders are trying to convince the electorate that immediate gratifications may have to be abandoned in favour of a more far-sighted attitude or policy.

The child of the masses remains as fickle and inconsistent as a somewhat spoiled youngster, just because of its great reliance on leadership, as well as a result of its gullible, trustful attitudes. In addition, the coarsening resonances of synchronised emotional experiences tend to aggravate the exasperating attitudes of immaturity, which characterise, so frequently, the behaviour of a crowd.

It is the thanklessness of dealing with a powerful but emotionally undifferentiated response from the masses, which makes its leaders of good-will prematurely grey, and, it brings the clever and tenacious leaders to the inevitable conclusion, that the mob`s emotions have to be manipulated and "guided", because the average individual is too dull to understand.

While a manipulation of the masses, carried-out with a magnanimous concern and compassion for the common people, may, occasionally, lead to a beautifully responsive and responsible relationship between leaders and their people, the very fact, that a conscious and deliberate manipulation is, so often, necessary, presents a continuous temptation to the leadership to manipulate the mob for its own interests. Trust can be so easily abused. Trustful people can be so easily deceived, that it is not surprising to see trust and suspicion, affection and hatred, go hand in hand.

The flow of emotions between a leader and his followers is primarily coloured by feelings of affection and loyalty, as long as the leadership is perceived as genuine and beneficial, but, as soon as the followers suspect, or realise, that they have been deceived, affection turns to blind hatred. The deeper the attitude of trust has been, the more severely a breach of this trust will be felt as a psychological wound, and the more readily will the reaction of a deep disappointment turn into a feeling of outright hatred. Unjustified and ungrateful suspicions, as well as false and slanderous accusations against the leaders, must lead to intense feelings of disappointment, and, this results, often, in a ruthless and calculating attitude, as soon as a leadership begins to control the mob for its own egocentric benefits or security concerns.

The interactions between leaders and followers are a two-way street, because, as always, (regardless, whether it takes place as a reaction between molecules, or, in the chemistry of our minds), a reaction may occur in opposite directions, depending upon energy relationships. A leader, seasoned by disappointments and false accusations, and, grown cynically aware of the need to control by force as well as by persuasion, defensively suspicious to the point of obsession, such a leader will be extremely harsh against his opponents as a matter of self-preservation.

If the use of force leads, increasingly, to an absolute or despotic power, the taming of the masses and the disarming of the opponent will give the leader a heady feeling of unlimited powers. The feeling of being absolutely powerful lessens the realisation that one needs advise and counsel from the social environment, and, a tyrant will, inevitably, lose touch with reality. The intoxicating sense of complete mastery and the arbitrary power over the life and death of his subjects, leads to an uninhibited use of power, and, this behaviour has a tendency to become ridiculous, unjust and cruel, all at the same time.

Such an atmosphere sets the stage for a power-play of influence, by flattery, intrigue or assassination, and, the rule of law and the principles of justice are replaced by the primitive instincts of survival. The psychological reasons for a behaviour of despotism, cruelty and lawlessness are quite clear, whenever we consider these forms of behaviour as a result of unbridled and arbitrary powers, a reduced openness in relationships, as well as a withering of the attitudes of trust and affection. These mechanisms destroy the meaning of social integration and cooperation, and, they accentuate the primitive, instinctive drive for a purely egocentric effort of individual survival.

Therefore, if absolute power falls into the hands of someone who is poorly endowed with the ability to feel compassion or to be trustful, (perhaps, as a result of a defensive insecurity when raised in a degenerate atmosphere of intrigue and cruel behaviour), or, when the succession of despotic power falls on someone, who is defensive and insecure because of the inability to cope with a difficult situation, acts of cruelty and insanity are likely to take place.

Anxiety rises, as threats to the security of the leadership intensify. The leader becomes introvert and defensive, as the confusion and pressures mount steadily. The magnanimous feelings of understanding and respect, the attitudes of trust and the willingness to accept counsel and advise, all these factors dissipate in an increasingly egocentric contraction of the sphere of concern. The recognition that others belong to the same social entity, becomes obscured. Everyone becomes a potential threat, an enemy or an assassin, and, terror is the only defense for such a creature, caught in a position of despotic powers, but endowed with the emotional and intellectual capabilities of a frightened, psychopathic child.

Let us not be surprised, therefore, that acts of cruelty, including assassinations and other violations of human rights occur, so often, in the history of a non-democratic society with a despotic leadership. We should be able to see, now, more clearly, the reasons for the development of such a situation, and, we should be able to follow the internal logic of the force-fields, determining the outcome of events that are guided by the attitudes of compassion and trust, suspicion and hatred, violent dissent, or peaceful co-existence.

We should recognise the disastrous consequences, whenever an individual is caught in an exposed position of responsibility and is incapable, intellectually and emotionally, to provide the expected leadership. The results are particularly dangerous, if such an individual is unable to step-down from a position of absolute power, without losing all prestige and security.

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Chapter 2

Content

Cruelty and the criminal.

Frightened people are driven to cruel acts of violence against those in their power in a desperate attempt to prevent a total collapse in their self-esteem by a relentless sequence of failures. It is logical, that they try, desperately, to accomplish something; to break-through this inescapable sequence of planned victory and disastrous defeat. Such people may, then, be tempted to grab power as a criminal act; as a last resort to be successful, or, to give vent to anger and frustration in a last fling at establishing a position of dominance and power, regardless, how short-lived or self-destructive the outcome is going to be.

If an individual`s efforts to achieve something and to gain a measure of recognition or prestige, are continuously frustrated, the constant sense of failure may lead to unbearable inner tensions. These tensions are dangerous, because the cumulative experiences of failure undermine, completely, any sense of self-esteem, and, self-destructive hostility may easily lead to a final act of victory and achievement, when a measure of power has been achieved, or, a feeling of resentment has been vented in the act of killing or maiming someone else, prior to comitting suicide or being killed in a gun-battle. The final criminal act, with its taste of absolute power over someone who is seen as the symbol of a hated society, or, the taste of victory over a community that has always laughed at the failures of the criminal, is felt, by many, to be a short but sweet reward, prior to the subconscious invitation to be killed by the social surroundings.

We have been sliding from a consideration of the despot with absolute powers to the criminal behaviour of a frustrated and frightened individual, and, we will try to outline the inner logic and psychological mechanisms that lead to acts of brutality, cruelty, homicide and suicide in these two categories of people, who are so closely related to each other. The common denominator of these very similar patterns of behaviour is the gradual and fateful disappearance of the feelings of self-esteem and interdependence from a position of essential equality.

Some individuals have been psychologially crippled in their early years by a series of unfortunate experiences, predisposing them to gross abnormalities in the development of the personality, and, transforming them into dangerous criminals and psychopaths. By the same token, it is unlikely, that a normal, emotionally balanced childhood with good social relationships will ever lead to acts of cruelty or brutality, later in life.

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Chapter 3

Content

Cruelty and communal hostilities.
The criminal and the rebel.
Divergencies and disparities within society.
The corruption of absolute power.

Of course, it is quite possible for a child to grow-up with a balanced emotional development and strong ties to its social surroundings, and yet, inherit from its local culture the passionate belief that another segment of society is the "arch-enemy". Here, we see the difference between the criminal and the aggressive elitist, or, the belligerent revolutionary. While the revolutionary or fascist (elitist) individual will, rarely, carry-out acts of deliberate cruelty or brutality against the members of his own group, (except as a measure of discipline), those, who are considered to be "enemies", are, often, the target of indiscriminate hatred and are hardly recognised as human beings. The revolutionary can only see the members of this hated segment of society as the cause and reason for the misery and oppression of his own people, and all-out conflict is often regarded as the only solution to the problem.

Revolutionary beliefs are rigid, and, they have to be rigid in order to obtain and maintain the cohesive militancy of a small but dedicated group. This means, that disciplinary measures may have to be taken against "traitors", as well as those, who waver from the narrow path of the only absolute truth. The need to suppress internal dissent, ruthlessly, may lead to acts of brutality.

The average, well-integrated citizen has a strong web of emotional and intellectual interdependencies, and, he or she will, almost never, carry-out acts of brutality. Occasionally, the emotions of a mob become coarsely synchronised, as a group of people search for an outlet for their pent-up anger and frustration, and a scapegoat is usually not difficult to find. At times, this may lead to impulsive acts of violence, but these behaviour patterns are never the deliberately cruel acts of a defensive or perverse tyrant.

Social groupings, often, share a common lifestyle and belief structure. This is often a result of the fact that they are related in kinship, but later, people tend to experience a gradual widening of the gap in lifestyle and beliefs. Then, people become "estranged" from each other, especially, if the level of contact is low. This leads, inevitably, to a rise in suspicious attitudes and a diminished sense of belonging together. Mutual contempt and suspicion lead to disregard and hatred, and, these feelings culminate, eventually, into open warfare, especially, when population pressures do not allow for a widespread dispersion of hostile groupings. The attitudes of the dominant segment of a social conglomerate become arrogant, elitist and exploitative, and, this development lays the foundation for an escalation of hostile sentiments, while the privileged elite clings together in a shared defense of hard-won privileges.

In spite of the indisputable fact, that people are born with unequal potentials and develop their talents to varying degrees because of unequal motivations and different opportunities, we see, that many attempts to regulate the transactions between the members of society, have a tendency to aggravate the discrepancies between the rich and the poor. This is especially likely to happen, if the laws of society encourage the accumulation of wealth. However, we are sliding, here, into ethical considerations which we would like to leave for another chapter.

Let us return to the question, why absolute power corrupts. Why does it lead, so often, to an oppressive despotism and acts of brutality? We have discussed, briefly, why unchecked personal power is likely to lead to strange excesses, but, we see, also, that the way an individual comes to power, determines the subsequent course of his actions. Yet, occasionally, an enlightened form of despotism comes to the fore, where the power of one man becomes beneficial to the society as a whole, in spite of the brutal and lawless manner in which the leadership established itself.

Undoubtedly, the personality of the leader, the accidents of history, and the circumstances of contacts, events and prevailing moods, determine, together, the course of social events. If the leader and his followers are able to maintain, to some extent, a feeling of mutual trust and loyalty, and, if the judgement of the leader is seasoned with a sense of concern for the common interests, the leadership of a dictator may be effective and valuable. However, there is always the danger, that a leader will be pressured into a defensive attitude, especially, if miscalculations result in disappointments, anger and suspicions towards the leadership.

Once the road to suppression has been taken, however, the effects are cumulative and irreversible, because for every enemy slain, hundreds of silent enemies are made. Everyone becomes fearful and defensive, and there is a rapid and complete break-down in the attitudes of good-will and mutual trust. Absolute power may be sustained for a long time by the ruthless persecution and clever manipulation of an emasculated majority, but the energy required to maintain the power of effective leadership, as well as the necessary atmosphere of fear and terror, have a paralysing effect on any effort by the leadership to achieve something for the community. Such a social environment hollows itself into a fragile shell of apparent strength and rigidity, but, sooner or later, a massive insurrection of the army and the people will, once again, topple absolute power into a blood-bath of indiscriminate slaughter.

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Chapter 4

Content

Battle-field attitudes.
Courage and patriotism.
The relativity of judgement.
Courage and the suppression of tenderness and compassion.
Magnanimity.

A victory on the battle-field used to lead, invariably, to the death of the loser, but, even, after man discovered the possibilities of exploitation and slavery by capturing the defeated enemy alive, the carnage of all-out combat remains revolting and senseless to anyone who has experienced it, or thought about it. Yet, combat is an important feature of our biologically programmed behaviour patterns, because this is the usual way survival of the individual or small group is accomplished.

The fear and anxiety, as well as the total commitment to do battle and engage in a struggle of life and death, make victory into an event that is associated with a heady rush of emotional feelings, mixing a dull sense of gratitude for being alive with a blind desire to eradicate, once and for all, the cause of the struggle. To kill in battle is not an act of cruelty, but the need to settle a conflict of interests does not necessarily justify a violent struggle. We should be able to come to the conclusion, that a battle is, nearly always, unnecessary, and, it is, often, caused by a stubborn pride and an appalling level of ignorance on both sides.

To kill a defeated and disarmed enemy is an act of cruelty, which is based, in part, on the irresistible instinct to make a victory permanent, as well as the suspicion that mercy may give the defeated enemy another chance to launch an attack in the future. The desire to kill or mutilate in the aftermath of a battle is the result of a pent-up rage and strong feelings of hatred.

Belligerent emotions were, in the past, so often, artificially inflamed by a leadership with a short-sighted appeal to patriotic fervor and a naive belief in an easy victory. The attitudes of belligerent hostility are sustained by the loss of comrades and the suffering of those, who have been wounded and mis-treated by the enemy. A blind hatred for the enemy dulls any feeling for, or interest in, the view-point of the opposing side, and, this is, precisely, what irresponsible leaders want. They do not want us to question the reasons, why they have decided to go to war.

We see, clearly, how people may become the victim of a mass-psychosis, as they are swept into an emotional synchrony of euphoria by a clever and ruthless leadership. A reasoned judgement about the causes of the conflict, as well as all considerations about the legitimacy of the claims and interests of the enemy, are deliberately ignored and suppressed. The courage and bravery of the patriots, (who are, so often, victorious because of their complete physical and emotional commitment to the Cause), results in a collective brutalisation of feelings and attitudes under the pressures of polarising acts of violence.

Indeed, there is an interesting relationship between brutalisation and courage, because we see, that courage is, often, nothing more than a publicly approved attitude of aggressive opportunism and brute strength, which has been sanctioned by the needs of the community or the ambitions of the leadership. One would expect, that the anxiety everyone feels when becoming engaged in a battle of life and death, would be a good reason to start thinking about a reasonable compromise. The fear of being killed or wounded, and losing everything we have worked for all our lives, should be a strong impulse to seek a negotiated settlement and avoid the devastating effects of an all-out fight.

However, we see, that a synchronisation of public opinion and attitudes tends to crystallise the feelings of hostility into an uncompromisng call for war; usually, by people who have no idea what it means to fight a war. The legitimacy of the opponents` view is ruthlessly suppressed, as people and their leaders become obsessed with pride and "national interests". Even to think about the arguments and motivations of the enemy, is, quickly, considered an act of treason.

The attitude of courage, then, is often, but not always, a co-ercive force. It pressures the people of society to adopt an attitude or response that is considered to be valuable and patriotic. On rare occasions, the opposite attitude of defying public opinion, may, in hind-sight, be judged as an act of real courage, but such a defiance will be judged as treacherous, or, even, cowardly, at the time it took place. It depends, therefore, entirely upon our point of view, whether an act of behaviour is considered to be courageous and valuable, or, foolhardy and despicable.

There are certain common traits in courageous behaviour, which seem to transcend narrow points of a partisan view. A general characteristic of the attitude of courage is the willingness to accept personal hardship or danger for an ideal or objective that benefits others. Occasionally, courage is admired as a tenacious resistance to the stress of a disaster or a disease. An egocentric, opportunistic, deceiving attitude for personal gain, or, a weak-kneed begging for mercy at the slightest hint of stress, are seldom respected, but they may be clever and viable ways to stay alive.

Courage, then, is an attitude characterised by the suppression of fear, as well as the willingness to assume a risk for a common Cause, but these same mechanisms may be interpreted, and judged, very differently. If an individual suppresses cautionary signals excessively, or, if one does so for a useless purpose, we call this attitude "foolish" or "foolhardy", while an insufficiently suppressed cautionary attitude is disprovingly called "cowardly". Whenever the degree of suppression is judged to be appropriate, we call the behaviour "wise" or "prudent", etc.

If a community emphasises, strongly, a daring, death-defying courage, we see a very rigid, powerful and aggressive pattern of behaviour come to the fore, but the ability of such a community to finely tune its responses to subtle changes, or quickly varying circumstances, is hampered by the rigidity of its attitudes and beliefs about what is right and wrong. Such a strong emphasis on the attitudes of fortitude, suppresses any tendency to be sensitive or compassionate. While tenderness and compassion are, at least partially, rooted in our biological heritage, (formed and sharpened by the need for effective parental care for the vulnerable infant), the attitude of tenderness and compassion in dealing with enemies, (either from the outside or the inside), is often considered a sign of weakness.

Yet, we have argued, before, how powerfully persuasive an attitude of compassion and tenderness can be, if adopted at the right moment by the stronger party during the clash of a serious conflict of interests . The slow wisdom of intuitive knowledge and subconscious experiences lets us see, that this is the only way to break the vicious circle of force, suppression, resistence and vengeance, which constantly renew the threat to security and feed the mechanisms of violence.

By granting an individual the gift of life or freedom in a courageous act of trust, we induce, if properly understood, an enormously powerful and important emotion of gratitude, especially, when the subdued enemy expects death or enslavement. We have seen, before, how the transience and fragility of the emotion of gratitude plays a crucial role in the growth and decay of a personality, as well as a social entity.

Gratitude is an emotion of affection and admiration towards a stronger individual, (or, towards a set of essentially favourable circumstances). This powerful reaction is generated, when the winner takes less or nothing of the expected spoils. By understanding that this unexpected gift of life, or, even, freedom and dignity, is truly a conscious and voluntary gift, based on an understanding and compassion for the defeated party, we create one of the finest opportunities to instill in our former enemies a sense of loyalty and admiration, which may lead, in turn, to further acts of mutual understanding and a bond of lasting friendship.

By being magnanimous, we take less than expected, and, we create the possibility of an attitude of reciprocal loyalty and trust. It is a courageous risk to be magnanimous, because a treacherous abuse of the gift of magnanimity entails the possibility of a sudden attack by those, who were previously pardoned. It is essential to take this risk, if we want to increase bonds of mutual understanding, respect and affection, and, such an attitude is rightly called "courageous".

Why such an attitude has become possible for man, who is equally prone to acts of great cruelty and brutality, is one of the most intriguing questions about the potentials of natural selection, because the freedom of making a deliberate choice, provides the opportunity to choose in favour of dignity and affection, as well as a choice in favour of hate and destruction.

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Chapter 5

Content

A jugement of good and evil.
The importance of ethics in society.
Philosophical questions.
A road to Heaven on earth.

Rather than considering any particular situation, person or circumstance to be "good" or "bad"; rather than judgeing the significance of an event, narrowly, on its significance for us, personally, or, for our particular social environment, it makes more sense to judge as good or evil developments that unite or divide us on a much larger scale. We should judge as good, those factors, which tend to fuse humanity into a cooperative, if somewhat tense society of global dimensions, while we should deplore, but understand, those factors, that tear a society apart by mutual suspicion and hatred, abuse and deceit, scorn and negligence. These are the forces that spawn the likelyhood of future conflict, misery and destruction, and, these are the events that fill our historical records with the gloomy repetitiveness of forgotten lessons and man-made suffering.

If we see as "good", as the ultimate solution to viability, the tendency to cooperate on an increasingly larger scale; if we are able to see and recognise each other as human beings with essentially similar requirements of security, food and shelter, then, we are able to come to universally acceptable definitions about good and evil, and, we should, then, be able to come to an agreement about the manner in which to solve our differences and reduce the causes of friction and strife.

Nature has given a freedom of behavioural choice to animal species` that are able to learn from experience, and, man is a member of this group. However, man has learned to influence and manipulate events with the help of his mental images and belief structures to a degree no other species has been able to, and, this faculty makes it clear, why ethical guidelines can not reflect a mere imitation of effective natural mechanisms, nor can it be based on a simplistic concept of "back to nature". Ethical guidelines and solutions have to be based on the slow development of a collective understanding of our nature and our potentials. We are sliding into ethics, once more, and, it is becoming apparent, how all the really important questions of philosophy are, in essence, questions that concern our viability as human beings, living together.

An ethical concern is the realisation, be it intuitive, rather than explicitly formulated, that all the world`s knowledge is of no avail, if we are unable to solve the causes of conflict. It is the realisation, that Heaven is not a God-made place of freedom from strife, but a man-made earth of dignified existence, where we understand, that the price of freedom and peace is a basic right to existence, security, health and education, for everyone. It is the realisation, that, any hope for a "delivery from evil", based on the escalating expectations of wealth and consumption, is a satanic delusion. It is the realisation, that we have to know, and agree amongst ourselves, about the basic concepts of naturally evolved forms of living existence, and, of human life in particular.

We have to work-out, carefully and compassionately, a way of life that acknowledges the need to share and conserve; that acknowledges the need to limit desires and ambitions; that recognises the ever increasing need for mutual interdependence and trust. We can create a Heaven on earth, if we understand, first, and act, accordingly. However, before attempting to formulate a generally acceptable code of ethics, we have to understand, how we function and what motivates us; what dreams and fears we have; why we are sometimes aggressive and belligerent, and, why we yearn, at other times, for tranquility and peace.

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Chapter 6

Content

The young child and its elan vital.
Identifying with a hero.
The abstraction of qualities.
The acceptance of a status-quo.
The cauldron of undigested frustrations.
The emotional time bomb.

Once it has formulated a basic awareness of its surroundings and an intuitive assessment of its own place in society, the young child will start to channel its developmental energies, its elan vital, by focussing its attention on various people within the social environment. Probably, we all employ this basic mechanism in the most important, early years of our personality development, where we recognise some people or some objectives as ideals we would like to imitate.

Before we arrive at highly abstract ideals, such as a desire to understand, we want to become someone we admire. In the act of admiration, we acknowledge a state of submission to our hero, and, we accept the qualities of our hero as the goals we want to obtain for ourselves. Admiring imitation starts this process of becoming a personality, where we form an image about what we would like to be. The discrepancy between this image of "what we want to become", and, the image we have of ourselves "as we are now", provides the driving force for our actions to obtain the goals we want to achieve, or, the ideals we want to emulate. In short, it provides the energy, as well as the pathways for the unfolding of our personality.

As we grow older, we realise the limitations of this method of primary imitation or identification. We realise the differences between our accidental circumstances and those of our hero, and, we start to abstract from the idealised person certain qualities, which we adopt as ideals to strive towards. We feel, increasingly, the need to tailor our ideas according to our own capabilities and the possibilities given to us. Eventually, we learn to take the conditions of our existence as the basis for a set of realistic goal-patterns.

We learn, that all human beings are fallible. We learn, that our own goal-patterns are flawed, and, we learn, even, to accept the errors of our judgements about ourselves. This is a long process, which requires, often, painful adjustments and re-appraisals, and, from an over-confident and simplistic world-view, (which is easily shaped into a sweeping ambition by our elan vital and lack of experience), we gradually learn to accept ourselves as we are, and, we learn to give-up our dreams of grandiose achievements. We learn to accept ourselves and our circumstances, and, rather than trying to reform the world around us, we learn to whittle away, patiently, at our own personality, and shape a little more wisdom and kindness into our attitudes.

It is natural to be achievers in our youth, to consolidate in maturity, and, to be graceful and understanding as we grow old and infirm. Yet, most of us have to carry a poorly realised or acknowledged burden of frustrated goals and desires. This can easily lead to an obsessive rigidity in our attitudes, obstructing the natural maturation and graceful senescence of our personality. It is in this cauldron of undigested frustrations, lingering in the background of our subconsciousness and influencing our daily behaviour, that the complex tensions of our lives play their nearly uncontrollable and poorly understood roles.

Here, the dangerous and neurotic frustrations, with their exhausting impoverishment of behavioural choices, determine our ability to share and be generous, or, to be vindictive and passionate. Suddenly, criminal or cruel behaviour patterns may emerge, whenever a possibility arises for their expression; whenever such a neurotic personality is freed from customary controls or attitudes of self-discipline, and, whenever such a personality is given, even, if temporarily, a position of power. Frustrations, hardened into obsessions by years of ill-understood suppression of discouraging failures, may suddenly break loose in bestial violence and brutality, writing another chapter in the perplexing complexity of human behaviour.

Let us not try to conjure-up a picture of psychopathology, here, but let us realise, that we all are prone to suffer from ill-realised frustrations and tensions. These may become neurotic obsessions, but, they may also contribute to a measure of understanding, and, they may mold our behaviour into an attitude of wisdom and compassion. Let us not forget that the trauma of frustration may nestle itself into the hidden corners of our subconscious memories and intuitive judgements, ready to surprise us with the sudden, destructive violence of a passionate act.

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Chapter 7

Content

The state of "quiet contentment".
Mechanisms of contentment and resignation.

Let us consider, for a moment, the other side of the human personality, when we experience a state of quiet contentment, happiness or gratitude. We are all aware of the transience of such feelings, since problems of one kind or another keep demanding our attention, and desires or needs pull us away from a tranquil equilibrium. At other times, a prolonged period of quiet contentment may be surreptitiously replaced with the attitudes of complacency or boredom, even, if the judgement of complacency is usually made by an outsider and not ourselves.

What are the underlying mechanisms of such a state of happiness or contentment? It is important to understand the state of contentment, because this state of mind, or "mood", is obviously possible, even, without having fulfilled all our wishes and desires. The definition of happiness is difficult, since we tend to disagree about the circumstances that may produce a feeling of happiness or contentment, and, a description of the subjective feelings of happiness has a tendency to lose itself in the naming of near synonyms; like contentment, peace of mind, etc.

Let us try a definition. The state of contentment is reached, whenever we judge the discrepancies between the conditions we are in and the conditions we would like to be in, as essentially unimportant. In terms of desires and ambitions that arise out of the quest to fulfill the image of ourselves "as we think we ought to be", (the "super-ego" of the psycho-analytical school of thought), it means, that we are able to accept ourselves, temporarily, "as we are".

We have learned, then, to see, that the chase after our super-ego image is elusive. We have learned, that we should be flexible enough to accept changes in our goal-patterns. In a sense, this is, indeed, a form of complacency, because, in doing so, we relax our efforts to correct discrepancies, and, we loose, at least, to some extent, the ability to commit ourselves with unquestioning vigour to any particular ideal or objective. Complacency, contentment and happiness are, at least for the adult, somewhat similar in nature, and, these conditions of existence signal a period of graceful acceptance of the position we find ourselves in. It is not unusual to see, that the ageing adult is getting somewhat tired after the long and ambitious struggles of his youth and adolescence.

Late maturity is a period of consolidation, but, this does not mean, that such a state of acceptance will last. After a variable period of time, perhaps years, perhaps, only days, the changes in external relationships and a renewed flux of the elan vital, (which comes with a period of rest and relaxation), may lead to the formation of new ideals, or, a renewed effort to conquer old objectives.

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Chapter 8

Content

Contentment of the young and adolescent individual.
Feelings of gratitude; mechanisms.
The importance of a historical perspective for a sense of gratitude; for the individual as well as the community.
The dangers of a poorly channeled elan vital.

Young and adolescent people may feel a different form of contentment, if they have the time to reflect, for a moment, on the progress they are making in their numerous goal-patterns. Occasionally, they may become aware, how their full-time activities, their total commitment and the sure progress towards their goals, give them a feeling of being content; but, usually, their contentment is a feeling of being powerful and confident.

The ability to be content with the situation in which we find ourselves, is intimately related to our ability to develop a sense of gratitude. The logical corollary of a tension between the situation "as is" and the situation "as we would like it to be", is the realisation, that the situation "as is" could be worse than it is now. It may well be, that the situation "as it is now", is a lot better than it could have been, or, the situation, now, is better than it is going to be in the near future. However, this last development, or expectation, would create a great deal of anxiety, and, since we are talking, here, about the channeling of energy into goal-patterns, we would immediately reverse or change our objectives and activities in order to avoid the possibility of a worsening situation.

The feeling of gratitude, then, must depend on the realisation, that the situation "as is" could have been worse. In stead of concentrating all our attention on the discrepancy between what we are now, and, what we would like to be in the future, let us consider the immediate past. Let us consider, "where we are now", compared to "where we were before". Did we not reach most of our goals? Do we not remember, that our goals and objectives from the recent past correspond with our status-quo in the present? Did we, then, in this recent past, not strive to be what we are now? And yet, see, how our goal-patterns always recede into a future, always luring us on into an ever rising spiral of expectations!

The communal sense of gratitude, (which is expressed in a vibrant, but, often, unspoken sentiment that the present could have been a lot worse, and, that the present is a lot better than a still remembered past), this communal awareness or sentiment of gratitude is the backbone of strength for every society. Without such a feeling of gratitude or contentment, any progress in cooperation, any willingness to endure some hardships, will be impossible. One of the major functions of a communal form of religious or philosophical awareness, is to deepen such a feeling of gratitude for the positive aspects of the present, and, to keep such a feeling alive, as long as possible.

However, after a generation-long period of prosperity and affluence, the younger generations have, eventually, no personal knowledge of the more difficult times of the past, and, they begin to take the status-quo for granted. Their elan vital is not channeled into clear-cut and well-defined goal-patterns, since the common goals of communal viability have already been fulfilled. If there are no communal goal-patterns, and, if the communal belief structures have lost their relevance for the members of an essentially affluent society, the younger generations are handed-down a poorly defined, fragmented and confusing cultural legacy, damaged by the ravages of opulence, and, it is not surprising, that desperate attempts are made by the younger generations to find meaningful channels for the dissipation of their elan vital.

The elan vital, or, the pressure to grow, is looking for a behavioural act into which it can channel its potential for an energy-flow, and, if this flow of energy is not channeled into a clear-cut direction, it becomes dissipated and frustrated in half-hearted attempts or efforts that are contradictory in nature, and, we see, then, the frustrations, indecisions and tensions of "boredom".

No wonder, that the young seek an outlet for these tensions in a fanatic pursuit of pleasures, exciting brushes with the law, or dare-devil stunts, trying to find satisfaction and meaning in dangerous or rebellious acts. The fulfilment of a goal is associated with an emotion of satisfaction, a pleasure, and, for most people, happiness is the pursuit of such pleasures.

Contentment is the satisfaction that comes with an acceptance of the status-quo, and, it implies the ability to curtail certain wishes and desires. Contentment, therefore, is a more difficult and less emotional attitude. It is a less primitive emotion than the search for immediate satisfaction, and, it depends on a balanced awareness of the events of the past and the present. Contentment is an attitude of maturity and wisdom, while the pleasure of satisfying a desire or a goal is the primary behavioural attitude of the growing individual, following the force-fields of his vital energies. A feeling of contentment is, actually, only possible, if we realise, that the present circumstances are acceptable. The importance of being aware of our past is, therefore, obvious, not only, in shaping and refining our present goal-structures, but also, in learning to curtail the growth of desires and wants.

By learning to accept the status-quo, we are beginning to realise to what extent we are enslaved by our goal-structures and desires. By remembering the past, we avoid taking our present circumstances and our present well-being, for granted. There is no doubt, that this sense of gratitude has to be sharpened and re-enforced, many times, throughout the entire life-cycle, and, in our discussion about ethical behaviour, as well as the deliberate structuring of social guidelines, we hope to outline the needs and requirements for guiding the behaviour patterns of the members of a society in such a way, that these attitudes of gratitude and contentment are being stimulated and kept alive.

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Chapter 9

Content

Contentment, happiness and the emotional surge.
The discrepancy between the situation "as is", and as we would like it to be.
The satisfaction of fulfilling primary drives.
The biological triangle of our personality.
The search for more sophisticated forms of satisfaction.
Renewed identification with our heroes.
The recognition of beauty in human artifacts and behaviour patterns.
Refinements of sensations, and the increased awareness of each other`s needs.

So far, we have implied mainly placid aspects in the concept of contentment, and, we should consider, now, the emotional surge that is associated with a feeling of happiness or a sensation of beauty. The fact that beauty and happiness are closely interrelated, is clear to anyone, who has reflected, for a moment, on the nature of these experiences, and, many people will be able to recognise the similarities between beauty and happiness. However, our description of contentment leaves out an explanation of the strong, if temporary, emotional surge that accompanies a sensation of beauty and a feeling of profound happiness. As we have done before, the most logical way to approach these ideas, is to trace their origins to the basic structure of the human personality.

We have seen, how the human being creates a web of aspirations and goal-patterns. These are partially formulated upon the desires, wants and needs of our physical existence, and, partially, they are determined by a psychological identification with our heroes. These mechanisms provide a continuous web of short, intermediate and long-term goal-patterns, which become channels for the flow of our vital energies, and, in this process, we are actualising some of our potentials. We have also considered, how we have to make choices all along the course of our existence, and, how we have to choose between various possibilities. Choosing a particular possibility, or course of development, often means, the loss of many others. We have seen, how we create in our own minds the tensions, as well as the guidance-patterns, which become the energy-dissipating channels for our behavioural choices. Tensions arise, primarily, as a result of the awareness of discrepancies between the images of ourselves "as we are", and "as we would like to be".

Guidance patterns channel a series of efforts and actions along a specific pathway of development, leading to a specific objective. If we are successful, at least, to some extent, our efforts are rewarded and the goals are re-enforced. This process may repeat itself frequently, and, we may speculate, how the final consummation of the objective produces the strongest emotional "rush", where the final act of accomplishment has the strongest existential significance, unless we have already shifted our goal-patterns before actually reaching them.

The primary behaviour patterns of an organism center around its biological needs, and the human being is no exception. The human being also experiences primitive emotive forces that trigger, or set into motion, a number of partially pre-formed behavioural responses that have been inherited with our genetic code. We see the strongest emotional experiences occur in relation to these primitive, biologically inherited and partially pre-formed behavioural responses. Our efforts to obtain food, to satisfy the sexual drive, and to save our skin from a predator, these acts and concerns are the cornerstones for a strongly synchronised feeling of "ecstasy". This is a state of excitement, where the organism has no need, and no time, for a rational or finely-tuned form of behaviour. Under such circumstances, the accomplishment of existentally highly significant goals is associated with a very strong, but undifferentiated emotion, which ranges from the ecstasy of the sexual climax, to the ecstasy of the victorious hunt and the kill of the prey, as well as the ecstasy of fear and the response of the flight, whenever we are the hunted ourselves.

From this primary "biological triangle" of emotional behaviour patterns, we differentiate the numerous goals and objectives with which we try to find a place in our social environment, and, through which we channel our expressive drives. The accomplishment of a final fusion between goal and desire, between objective and actual status, represents emotionally highly satisfying sensations, and, for a moment, we live in total happiness, unburdened by the constant stream of discrepancies, discords and dissonants with which our discriminatory faculties are usually confronted. For a moment, the emotional surge of accomplishment and happiness shuts-out the rational processes of evaluating contradictory awarenesses, and, we live, temporarily, in ecstatic happiness.

Later, when a myriad of experiences have shown us the relative value of our goals, the transience of our primary satisfactions, as well as the short duration of our state of happiness, the search for a more lasting, more sophisticated and less vulnerable form of contentment will resume. Again, we tend to look towards the behaviour of other people in our social environment. We look towards those, who have experienced the same dissatisfactions with the fulfilment of primary drives. By renewing the process of identification with another individual, we become sensitive to the more sophisticated notions and experiences of happiness. We become more sensitive to the recognition of similar searches and experiences carried-out by other people, and, we will recognise certain examples or expressions as unusually true, or, exactly as we felt it ourselves.

Then, we may experience a sudden flash of recognition, be it as a behavioural act or as an artistic expression, because either one may reflect, quite precisely, our vague notions of truth and reality. Again, we experience a strong emotional flux, associated with finding what we were looking for. Since we are not dealing, here, with basic desires, but complex expressions of human joy and suffering, our emotional feelings are becoming more differentiated and more tempered with a sense of transience of our individual achievements. Our feelings of joy and happiness are transformed into a feeling of beauty, or, an appreciation for our human existence, and, this experience implies, subconsciously, an enormously important shift away from the instinctive gratification of a primary biological objective.

In spite of the fact, that the sensation of beauty and happiness is, often, a rather personal recognition of a truth, it often centers on a shared human expression, or, a common sensation of "feeling good", and the possibility that other people will experience a similar awareness, opens an avenue for emotional harmony and communication.

The same degree of emotional synchrony is rarely possible in the pursuit of purely egocentric desires and needs, since these egocentric concerns tend to clash so quickly. However, both aspects blend together, and, rather than emphasising a break with our biological heritage in the development of an "aesthetic appreciation", I feel, that we should see the sensation of happiness and beauty as a possibility to refine common, biologically "given" sentiments. This experience represents a possibility to enrich the variety and shading of our awarenesses, and, consequently, I believe that it is worthwhile to reflect on the mechanisms, how, and why, the communicated experiences of beauty and happiness lead to an enriched and refined cultural vocabulary of feelings, attitudes and ideas.

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Chapter 10

Content

Ecstasy and egocentricity; non-ethical mysticism.

The feeling of ecstasy is a very strong sensation of beauty and happiness, but, the stronger a feeling or emotion is, the closer it will resemble one of the primary, instinctively shaped behaviour patterns, and, the more likely it will be egocentric and non-ethical in its orientation. This is the reason, why the sensation of ecstatic beauty may be pursued with a remarkable degree of individualistic egocentricity, or, within the elitist exclusivity of a small group.

We see this happen, quite clearly, in many, non-ethical, essentially mystical efforts to find happiness, where the desire for absolute happiness is found in the sensation of being united with one`s Creator. We will not dwell, here, upon the consequences and short-comings of such efforts to obtain a feeling of mystical ecstasy. The lure of perfect and enduring happiness has always been a powerful stimulus for the occasional individual to seek happiness in such an exclusive manner. The limitations of such an approach are obvious to the average individual, and, despite the long history and persistent lure of mystical experiences, it will always remain, fortunately, an individualistic pursuit by a few people.

The difficulties associated with obtaining a mystical happiness or state of ecstasy, are the main problem for the average individual, but the draw-back of near-total egocentricity in such a persuit of happiness, is completely overlooked by those who practice it, because the professed ideal of the mystic is to lose his egocentric identity in the union with God. Less extreme forms of mystical pursuits seem to leave a semblance of concern for the common individual, but such a concern is often cloaked in an attitude of patient condescendence, rather than genuine sympathy or understanding.

We will not pursue the topic of mystical experiences any further at this point, except to say, that it is an emotional experience of happiness, blurring any function of the rational mind by its strong emotional surge. In spite of claims to the contrary by people who have experienced mystical ecstasies, these feelings have nothing to do with any form of "higher consciousness", and, these experiences are, in essence, a negation, or a denial, of the rational capabilities of the human mind. These efforts are a regrettable step away from rational thought, but, at times, when the rational powers of the human mind seem to lead, only, to a confusing harvest of chaos and contradictions, it is understandable, that a "reactionary mysticism" has its appeal.

To come back upon more mundane and down-to-earth forms of happiness; we can say, that, happiness, or a sense of beauty, is generated, not only, by the recognition of valuable and commonly shared human artifacts or patterns of behaviour, but, these feelings can also be evoked by familiar sights and sounds, in particular, when they evoke nostalgic sentiments of a happier and more care-free past.

The basis for the sensation of beauty is, therefore, the recognition of a set of favourable circumstances, or, the recall of a number of pleasant memory-traces. These circumstances or memory-traces correspond, closely, with a vaguely held idea or notion of happiness. The fusion between the idealised images of the mind and the experiences of the moment, causes the emotional surge that is experienced as an emotion of beauty or happiness.

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Chapter 11

Content

The sexual drive, and the feelings of tenderness, love and compassion.
The development of tenderness and compassion out of the burdens of parenthood.
The essential egocentricity of the sexual act.
The egocentric orientation of pornography.
Christian morality and the Puritan attitude.

We should explore, for a moment, the relationships between the sexual drive, the drive to dominate, and the attitudes of tenderness, love and compassion. Our biological heritage shows, clearly, that the primary sexual drive is an egocentric instinct. Nature has sharpened into the behaviour patterns of the individually existing organisms a strong sexual drive in order to ensure the continued existence of the gene-pool of the species.

Since the awareness of any "obligation" to the continued existence of the gene-pool is totally alien to the existential needs of the individual members of a species, these members have to be "seduced" into a behaviour of mating by providing a strong desire to do so. The pleasure derived from fulfilling this drive, is paid for by the burdens of parenthood, and, as we have seen before, the sexual drive, as well as the behaviour of parental care and concern, are biologically engraved, or genetically inherited, by the members of the human species. However all the aspects of sexually related behaviour are strongly modified by cultural guidelines and past experiences.

The fact, that the act of mating is so stereotyped, is another indication that we are dealing with a biologically inherited pattern of behaviour. We also see, clearly, that mating is, usually, coupled with an aggressive and dominating form of behaviour on the part of the male, and a more submissive role for the female. Prior to the act of mating, an elaborate system of behavioural signals, or "rituals", is often necessary in order to bring both partners in the "proper mood". Such an emotional and behavioural synchronisation is especially necessary in those species`, where there is, normally, little or no contact between the adults, except, in the form of competitive strife, or, outright combat.

From a biological point of view, we see little evidence for a feeling of tenderness towards the opposite sex, until we consider those species`, where acts of tenderness and care have been shaped by the forces of natural selection in order to provide a measure of cooperation between the parents in the performance of their parental duties vis-a-vis their offspring. The behaviour of care and concern towards their vulnerable youngsters seems to be the first indication of an ability to be caring and protective, and, this behavioural potential is elaborated, extensively, in human contacts, where, under cultural influences, sexual contacts become clothed with the attributes of mutual care, love and tenderness.

The persistence of many examples of brutal, cruel or egotistical behaviour in human sexuality, shows the transience and superficiality of this "cultural veneer". Certainly, people, who have grown-up with defects in their ability to be open, trusting and caring for others, show marked distortions of normal sexual attitudes and behaviour patterns. These deviations are caused, primarly, by an exaggerated defensiveness and a fear for failure. This leads, often, to astonishingly brutal and pathological forms of behaviour.

It is, therefore, erroneous to equate mutual sexual attraction with the attitudes of love and tenderness. The ardent love of the adolescent is, primarily, egocentrically focussed on the satisfaction of an awakening sexual drive, even, if this drive is transformed into a romantic, idealised image of female beauty, as well as an attitude of tender, loving care. These attitudes come to the fore through the mechanisms of a cultural heritage and a sensitivity to beauty.

In essence, the ardent youth is interested in pursuing the fulfilment of his idealised dream and the conquering of the female who embodies this dream, and, only much later, does he learn, through the wisdom of continuous, intimate contacts, to accept the reality of a specific personality with its inevitable mixture of attractive and less attractive features.

Yet, the female also responds egocentrically to the interplay of sexual attraction, because she experiences a generalised awareness of having accomplished a "victory". This sensation arises as a result of the compliment of having been found attractive, and, she has an instinctive joy in savouring, or, even, exploiting this female power over her suitors, because it is the only time in her life that she has real power over the male. Only later, when faced with the reality of motherhood, and, assisted by the biologically shaped instincts of maternal care, does she develop this loving devotion and self-effacing care for her family, which has always been the backbone of every healthy social environment.

The refinement of feelings, as well as the development of the attitudes of tenderness, mutual trust, care and concern, find their origins in the relationships between parents and their offspring; between siblings and close relatives, and, these potentials, developed during childhood, will determine, to a large extent, the degree of compassion and tenderness that will enlighten the sexual contacts between adolescents and adults.

For these reasons, it is clear, that the qualities of tenderness and mutual care are behavioural refinements. These qualities are culturally super-imposed on the essentially egocentric orientation of the biologically engraved sexual drive. Unfortunately, boredom, a lack of clear-cut goal-patterns, and the diffuse affluence of an opulent society, lead to hedonistic and accentuated egocentric behaviour patterns, providing the adolescing youngsters with a confusing picture for their sexual objectives and outlook.

A frequent and early exposure to sexual contacts, freed from the biological obligations of parenthood and stimulated by the commercial interests of pornography, has a tendency to pervert the sexual encounter to a self-gratifying round of exploratory experiments, emphasising, increasingly, artificially augmented sexual stimuli. It is clear, that, under these conditions, the sexual orientation becomes basically one of self-gratification, and, even, an effort to satisfy each other, has a strong, mutually egocentric element because of this intense pre-occupation with physical pleasures.

The irrealistic expectations fostered by commercial pornography, (quite in line with the ever-rising expectations of consumerism and egocentric desires), leads to a total break-down of the usual development of mutual care, love, concern and respect, which come naturally to the fore as a result of the need to live together and share the burdens of raising, feeding, clothing and sheltering a family.

The pre-occupation with sexual pleasures re-enforces, again and again, the egocentric desires of the individual, and these egocentric pleasures dull the mind and destroy any appreciation for the needs of other people. The personality development remains arrested in an immature attitude of never-ending self-gratification, and this is the real objection to smut and pornography.

In part, the rise of explicit sexuality in literature was a result of a change in our attitudes, away from a puritan suppression of the expression of sexual desires to a more open acknowledgement of the existence of the sexual drive. The puritan attitude, however, was based on the realisation, that an exploited and unbridled sexuality would weaken the attitudes and moral fibre of the members of society, and, this awareness reveals the seriousness with which Christian morality was adopted as a saving code of conduct; saving man from his own destructive tendencies into the loving care of his God.

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Chapter 12

Content

An intellectual foundation for a system of ethical guidelines.
The remnants of a Christian ideology and morality.
The pernicious consequences of a pre-occupation with self-gratification.
The pitfalls of consumerism.
The fragility of "communal idealism".
The essence of individual freedom; seen as an act of tolerance by the social environment.
The similarities between individual and collective freedoms within a social framework.
A brief outline of further considerations for the development of a system of natural ethical guidelines.

Western society has, by and large, abandoned a literal belief in the Christ as the Saviour of mankind, and, only a vacillating sense of morality, a vague notion of good and evil remains, which is based upon the lingering precepts of the Christian Faith and the Christian way of life. But, when so many of the more difficult aspects of the Christian Faith and the Christian way of life have been abandoned, society has difficulties to maintain a real conviction in the Christian guidelines for ethical behaviour.

I am not advocating a return to Christian precepts for the sake of moral guidance, because, I believe, that it is now possible to formulate principles of operation and guidelines for moral behaviour, which are not based upon a religious point of view. I like to point out, however, that we have a tendency to adhere to the Christian ideas and ideals, whenever they are considered to be liberal, modern or sophisticated, and, at the same time, we, conveniently, neglect or disagree with those elements of the Christian Faith that strike us as outdated and archaic.

We can not hope to find moral strength in a structure of beliefs, unless we fully believe in the validity of the entire package of concepts upon which moral decisions have to be based. We will always treasure the heritage of the Christian Faith, just as we treasure the cultural expressions of other religions, and, we will have occasion to describe the overall influence of the Christian Faith on human thought and behaviour. However, we will have to face, squarely, the problem of re-formulating our ethical guidelines, since we can not design useful modes of behaviour on the vague notions of a culturally refined idea that has lost a great deal of its relevance. We have to ask ourselves, many times, why we should care for our neighbour; why we believe in the rights and obligations of the individual; why we should choose the difficult road of cooperation, rather than risk the much "easier" solution of a deadly confrontation.

We can find the answers by looking, once more, at the evolutionary imagery of the sciences, and, we should resist the temptation to stay with a lingering hope and a difficult belief. These hopes and beliefs may be emotionally satisfying, but they are intellectually crumbling. Only, if we acknowledge the pernicious consequences of fostering an egocentric orientation and a pre-occupation with self-gratification, will we be able to answer the question, what is wrong with a little pornography. Only, when we see, clearly, how we foster the attitudes of egocentricity, (not only in sexual indulgence, but, as much, by our relentless orientiation upon the drive to consume and satisfy ever-rising expectations), only then, will we be able to discern, what the weakness of every affluent social entity has been, throughout history.

We will consider, later, in more detail, the philosophical concerns behind the acquisition of personal wealth and assets, as well as the ideas and ideals of free economic enterprise. We will see, how a consistent application of the principles of free-enterprise, leads, inevitably, to a divergence between social classes, and, we will see, that the Western societies have, long since, acknowledged, in practice, that a totally free-wheeling system of enterprise does not work.

In spite of an increasing awareness of social objectives in many of the Western societies, the gospel of free-enterprise lingers-on in the minds of the near-successful, especially, when people hope to reach this nirvana of consumerism and opulence, regardless of the price that has to be paid. The obsession with personal success and the adulation of individualised ambitions and goal-patterns, show, how tempting such an egocentric orientation is, and, how far the disintegrating mechanisms of personal and communal egocentricity have taken hold in many societies, all over the world.

The fragility and elusiveness of the idea of the common good is, indeed, astonishing, and, it seems, that it has to be born again and again, out of chaos, destruction, suffering and despair. Once we know, better, why this sense of mutual concern is so fragile, we may be able to enshrine these values in a more rigid and persistent format, but, at the same time, we have to avoid the danger of too strict a cultural rigidity, because it may hamper our collective efforts at reforming an increasingly obsolete system of guidelines, as well as our yearning for individual freedoms.

The major concern for every attempt to construct a system of ethical guidelines, must be an awareness of the varying needs of individual and collective existence. We should, however, not conclude, beforehand, that we are dealing, here, always, with a trade-off or balance between opposing force-fields, whenever we consider the conflicting interests of the individual and the social surroundings. It does not necessarily mean, that an individual has to make sacrifices for the good of the community. We should not decide, a priori, that collective existence, means, necessarily, a loss of individual freedoms.

At the same time, we should not limit our discussions about ethics to a balance, or, an apparent balance between an individual and his social environment, but, we should pay more attention to the concept, that individual existence in a state of dignity and well-being should be considered as a gift from the social environment. We should also consider the parallels between rights and obligations, when comparing individual existence within a group, and the viability of smaller sub-groupings within a larger social framework, or, the rights and obligations of nations within the context of a global co-existence.

There are good reasons to believe, that, in essence, individual development can only take place within the context of interhuman contacts. The actualisation, or "coming into being", of this complex of individual potentials is unthinkable without the gift of security and stimulation, provided by other people in the social surroundings. We can not unfold ourselves in isolation, and, we have to interreact and communicate with other people, especially, during the formative years. The entire content of our conscious awareness is unthinkable, without the cultural heritage that came from these social surroundings, and, our mental development would have been impossible, without the security and stimulation provided by other members and social institutions.

We may well come to the conclusion that the optimum development of our personality and the unfolding of our abilities was only possible, because we grew-up within a caring and protective social environment, and, therefore, we received from society, as well as contributed to it.

Certainly, there are many examples, where the demands of society hamper, or, even, destroy individual human rights, and, we do not have to accept all social experiments and models as equally good, wise or viable. We have discussed, on previous occasions, the problem of premature rigidity when establishing a specific code for the organisation of society, and, we have looked at the unfortunate trends of corruption, injustice and inequality, together with their disastrous results.

However, it is equally obvious, from countless examples in history, that the decay of a social structure brings major disadvantages for individual existence. In spite of the fact, that some expressions of individual concern may be regarded as valuable and useful by the succeeding generations and their cultural guidelines, the overall effect of social instability is cultural impoverishment.

Chaos, poverty and increasing insecurity destroy the opportunities for individualised expression, and, we see the center of cultural development and contribution shift from the decaying social environment to another social entity that is more viable and vigorous. We will trace these developments, in detail, somewhere else. Here, we want to emphasise, only, that it is erroneous to believe that individuality is, inevitably, diminished or enslaved by an existence within social constraints.

There is no reason to believe, that a small group of people has to lose essential qualities of existence by integrating into a larger unit. There is certainly no reason at all to believe, that unbridled gratification of emotions and desires constitutes the pinnacle of human rights or wisdom. There is no reason to doubt, that the human being can feel free and happy, while adhering to the rules and regulations of a viable social environment.

As we have seen, our initial security and possibilities of existence were provided by the care and concerns of our parents. Similarly, continued security of existence is provided by the societies in which we live, and, this gift of security sets people free to become an individualised human being. It is within the tolerance of society, that we find happiness and freedom, and, it is in the opportunity and responsibility given to us to participate in society, that we will find the goals and accomplishments that are dearest to us.

The unbridled search for gratification is stultifying individualised existence into a state of perpetual immaturity, but, it takes the experience of such a search for satisfaction to know the fallacy of this goal. The individual, who never had the possibility to become what his potentials indicated, will always be locked into unresolved frustrations, and, it is the duty of society to give each individual member a chance to realise, at least, some of his or her potentials. Without such a chance to develop some of our abilities, the locked-in frustrations will only create bitterness and hatred, and stimulate combative and destructive instincts. If basic security of body and mind is given to everyone, the drive to develop some of our potentials will have lost its sharpest edge of anxiety, which is characterised by the struggle for the basic necessities of life.

We are anticipating, now, our considerations for an acceptable ethical system, which will be based on a logical understanding of man, the evolved animal. There can be little doubt, that such a system is, not only, possible, but, urgently needed to help us formulate the conditions for peaceful co-existence on a global scale. We have to consider two major areas of human endeavour that have a bearing on our attempts to formulate a system of ethical guidelines. We have to look into the psychology of power and wealth, and, in particular, the acquisition of power and wealth according to the rules of lawful behaviour. We will, also, consider the rules of "games", in order to explore, whether or not we can gain useful insights from an analysis of the temporary and often arbitrary rules of conduct, which are so useful for regulating the events of competitive efforts within the context of a "game". Again, we will notice the remarkable opportunities for individualised expression that are generated by the voluntary acceptance of rules and restrictions. We will see, that such an acceptance, frees, rather than hampers the human mind.

We should, also, consider this remarkable paradox, where we see, that, attempts at equalising opportunities and protecting against robbery and intimidation through the introduction of lawful regulatory mechanisms, encourage and accelerate, so often, a polarisation of the community into divergent classes. This leads, in turn, to an increase in tensions and the break-down of mutual respect, recognition and identification. We have to be very careful, when introducing regulations, rules or laws, that we do not accidentally destroy the natural mechanisms which ensure a measure of equal opportunity through the transience of personal power. In nature, the dominant animal is only dominant, as long as his physical and mental capabilities are up to the tasks of his position, and, if he falters, a challenger will take his place.

Often, the laws regulating legitimately acquired personal property and safeguarding a position of deserved privilege, result in the accumulation of power and wealth in the hands of a few people. This trend is accentuated, disastrously, by the right to inheritance, and, we see, then, a lingering concentration of power, wealth and privilege, in the hands of undeserving heirs, long after their limited physical and mental capabilities made them unfit for the proper management of this power, privilege and wealth. This reminds us of the strict interdependence between the qualities of privilege and the attitudes of responsibility. Power and privilege are personal rewards for hard and successful work, and, they should not be a result of having been born from successful parents.

Unfortunately, the laws of society often accentuate disparities in direct contrast to their intentions, and, these laws seem to hamper rather than refine a natural flux of power. It is fair to say, therefore, that the gospel of free-enterprise, (enshrined by the property-laws of many modern societies), inevitably, brings forth this monstrous child, the division of society into classes of disparity, which these laws, unintentially, helped to create and maintain. Only a competent and carefully regulated system for the re-distribution of wealth can retard a slide into inherited disparities.

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Summary

1. Goal-oriented behaviour, and the relationships with society.
   The mechanisms of cruel behaviour.
   Lack of trust; defensive behaviour patterns.
   The coarsening of sentiments and attitudes in a mass- synchronisation of emotional behaviour.
   Relationships between leaders and the crowd.
   
   
   
2. Cruelty and the criminal.
   
   
   
3. Cruelty and communal hostilities.
   The criminal and the rebel.
   Divergencies and disparities within society.
   The corruption of absolute power.
   
   
   
4. Battle-field attitudes.
   Courage and patriotism.
   The relativity of judgement.
   Courage and the suppression of tenderness and compassion.
   Magnanimity.
   
   
   
5. A jugement of good and evil.
   The importance of ethics in society.
   Philosophical questions.
   A road to Heaven on earth.
   
   
   
6. The young child and its elan vital.
   Identifying with a hero.
   The abstraction of qualities.
   The acceptance of a status-quo.
   The cauldron of undigested frustrations.
   The emotional time bomb.
   
   
   
7. The state of "quiet contentment".
   Mechanisms of contentment and resignation.
   
   
   
8. Contentment of the young and adolescent individual.
   Feelings of gratitude; mechanisms.
   The importance of a historical perspective for a sense of gratitude; for the individual as well as the community.
   The dangers of a poorly channeled elan vital.
   
   
   
9. Contentment, happiness and the emotional surge.
   The discrepancy between the situation "as is", and, as we would like it to be.
   The satisfaction of fulfilling primary drives.
   The biological triangle of our personality.
   The search for more sophisticated forms of satisfaction.
   Renewed identification with our heroes.
   The recognition of beauty in human artifacts and behaviour patterns.
   Refinements of sensations, and the increased awareness of each other`s needs.
   
   
   
10. Ecstasy and egocentricity; non-ethical mysticism.
    
    
    
11. The sexual drive, and the feelings of tenderness, love and
    compassion.
    The development of tenderness and compassion out of the burdens of parenthood.
    The essential egocentricity of the sexual act.
    The egocentric orientation of pornography.
    Christian morality and the Puritan attitude.
    
    
    
12. An intellectual foundation for a system of ethical guidelines.
    The remnants of a Christian ideology and morality.
    The pernicious consequences of a pre-occupation with self- gratification.
    The pitfalls of consumerism.
    The fragility of "communal idealism".
    The essence of individual freedom; seen as an act of tolerance by the social environment.
    The similarities between individual and collective freedoms within a social framework.
    A brief outline of further considerations for the development of a system of natural ethical guidelines.

    
    
    
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