ETHICS as related to Mindscapes
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1175 ▶ |
| Object type | Human sciences |
Ethics has been defined as the “science of the oughts ”(A. BAHM, 1992)
But to make it a “science”, we would need precise criteria about the way these “oughts”should be defined, which is of course quite difficult.
According to M. MARUYAMA (1994, p. 125-6) the ethical attitudes are quite diverse and become established on the basis of the very different mindscapes dominant in distinct cultures .
He thus distinguishes the following basic ethic pronouncements by the representants of the four basic psychomental types he describes:
- the H type (homogeneistic, hierarchical) considers that “the stronger should dominate the weaker”(thus “order reigns”)
- the I type (heterogenist, randomizing) thinks that “everybody should be self-sufficient”(being poor is a person's own fault“)
- the S type (heterogenist, cooperative) believes the “different individuals should help one another”(Harmony should be seeked and maintained)
- the G type (heterogenist, co-creative) vows that “New diversity should be generated” (Change is good and should be sought for“)
Of course these divergent views are the main cause of the eternal and labyrinthic search for an ethics acceptable by everybody.
Maruyama applies the same views to aesthetics (Ibid, p. 126-7)