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LWI Newsletter – Weaknesses of our laws
“In law, a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics, he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so” - Immanuel Kant (famous German philosopher)
The last editions of our Newsletter were dedicated to evidence-based worldviews. We explained that a worldview, though subjective, can be based on evidence. In our previous edition, we concluded that our current scientific and technological level of development is rooted in the seeds of a particular worldview, namely the Judeo-Christian worldview. We ended that edition by stating that this same worldview could be applied when designing an effective integrity policy.
Before we delve into how to put this thought into practice, we must ask ourselves why the current integrity policy is not delivering the results we expect. The current policy is anchored in the law. To understand this fact, we have to go back in history. Since science was born in a physical framework and as a means of being freed from man’s opinions, traditions, and even superstitions, it had to be value-free. Science’s foundation was amoral (not immoral!). Science cannot tell you what is just or unjust, who is a person of integrity, and who is not. To compensate for this weakness, they hang all morality on the law.
What is the problem with our laws? The birth of science was made possible by the discovery of the laws of nature, specifically the laws governing matter. Human nature, however, is governed by spiritual laws because man has a spirit. But since those who took up the baton of science development didn’t believe in spiritual laws, they drafted laws as if their subject were inanimate entities. From a philosophical standpoint, we can say these laws were materialistic.
Laws have strengths that we all admire. But laws to guide human behavior as if they were dead entities are bound to fail because the human spirit is not subject to physical laws. You can expect to scare people by imposing high penalties on certain integrity breaches, or you can expect the law to function as an information source. But these are materialistic thoughts that deny the spiritual reality of humans. Admittedly, some people are scared by high penalties, but in most cases, they have proven to be ineffective in curbing integrity breaches. And those who fail don’t do it because of a lack of knowledge.
Is there any other alternative? Yes, the Judeo-Christian worldview offers a new perspective on integrity policy by incorporating spiritual laws that govern human behavior. In our next edition, we will discuss the approach to this strategy.
*For the previous editions of this newsletter go here.
LWI Newsletter – Debilidatnan di nos leinan
“Pa lei, un hende ta kulpabel ora e violá derecho di un otro. Den étika, e ta kulpabel si e djis pensa pa hasi esei” – Immanuel Kant (Filósofo Aleman famoso)
E último edishonnan di nos Newsletter tabata dediká na ‘worldview’-nan basá riba evidensia. Nos a splika ku un ‘worldview’, aunke e ta suphetivo, por wòrdu fundá riba evidensia. I den nos último edishon, nos a yega na e konklushon ku e nivel di desaroyo sientífiko i teknológiko aktual ta danki na simia di un sierto ‘worldview’, esta e ‘worldview’ Hudeo-Kristian. I nos a finalisá e edishon ei ku e ponensia ku e mésun ‘worldview’ aki por wòrdu usá pa diseñá un maneho di integridat efektivo.
Promé nos drenta den e pregunta kon por pone e pensamentu aki den práktika, nos tin ku puntra nos mes di kon e maneho di integridat aktual no ta duna e resultadonan ku nos ta ferwagt. E maneho di integridat aktual ta ankrá den lei. Pa komprendé e echo aki, nos tin ku bai bèk den historia. Komo siensia a nase den un kuadro físiko i komo un medio pa wòrdu librá di opinion di hende, tradishon i asta superstishon, e mester tabata liber di balornan. Fundeshi di siensia tabata amoral (no inmoral!). Siensia no por bisa bo kiko ta hustu òf inhustu, ken ta íntegro i ken no. Pa kompensá e debilidat aki, nan a kolegá henter moralidat na lei.
Kiko ta e problema ku nos leinan? Siensia por a nase dor di deskubrí leinan di naturalesa, esta di materia. Naturalesa humano sinembargo, ta wòrdu goberná dor di leinan spiritual pasobra hende tin un spiritu. Pero komo esnan ku a tuma e batuta di desaroyo di siensia no tabata kere den leinan spiritual, nan a traha leinan komo si fuera tabata pa entidatnan no-humano. Fo’i punto di bista filosófiko nos por bisa ku e leinan ei tabata materialístiko.
Lei tin aspektonan fuerte ku nos tur ta atmirá. Pero lei pa guia komportashon humano komo si fuera ta entidatnan morto nan ta, ta destiná pa faya pasobra spiritu humano no ta suheto na leinan físiko. Bo por ferwagt di spanta hende dor di pone kastigu haltu pa sierto infrakshonnan di integridat òf bo por ferwagt ku lei ta funshoná komo un fuente di informashon. Pero esei ta pensamentunan materialístiko ku ta nenga e realidat spiritual di sernan humano. Klaro, bo por spanta algun hende ku kastigunan haltu pero den mayoria kaso, nan a proba di ta inefektivo pa baha infrakshonnan di integridat. I esnan ku ta faya, no ta hasié pa falta di konosementu.
Tin un otro alternativa? Si, e ‘worldview’ Hudeo-Kristian ta ofresé un perspektiva nobo di maneho di integridat dor di inkluí leinan spiritual ku ta goberná e ser humano. Den nos próksimo edishon nos lo diskutí e aserkamentu di e strategia aki.
*Pa mira edishonnan anterior di e 'newsletter' aki bishitáaki.