Individual Morality and Social Ethics book 2 chap 7

Values and Norms: The Search for Happiness

1. Individual Morality
2. Social or community ethics
3. Perfection or moral maturity as the
inner harmony between the desires
of the body and the mind
4. Analogy between the solar system
and the desires of body and mind
5. Perfection or moral maturity as the
development of the capacity to
love
CHAPTER 7 INDIVIDUAL MORALITY AND SOCIAL ETHICS
6. Family ethics
7. Analogy between family ethics
and the order of the universe
8. Social ethics is essentially a large-
scale expansion of family ethics
9. Complementarity between
individual morality and social
ethics
10.The need for Universal Ethical
Principles

In this chapter, as a summary, we will
present and develop some of the main ideas of
the ethical theory of UnificationThought, which
as we have already mentioned repeatedly tries
to offer an integrative, conciliatory and
unifying vision of the different ethical theories
that have emerged throughout history.
At the end of the chapter we will reiterate
the need to reach agreement on universal
ethical principles as the only solution to solve
the problem of moral corruption that exists
today in the world from the individual, family,
social, national and global levels.
INTRODUCTION

The individual morality or individual
dimension of ethics deals with the norms of
conduct of the individual life, and on the
principles that guide the attitudes,
motivations and actions of persons as
individuals.
Its objective or goal is to achieve a moral
perfection or maturity of the individual,
cultivating one's character and achieving
inner harmony and balance between the
desires of the mind and the desires of the
body, in addition to developing the ability
to love of an unconditional way,
experiencing an inner peace, satisfaction or
individual happiness.
In other words, people, from their
youth, must make responsible and
voluntary efforts to reach a maturity of
character, knowing themselves, leading
a good life, respecting moral norms,
acting by good will or purity of intention,
and achieving self-control.
In short, to forge a mature character
through daily practice of individual
moral virtues, such as purity, honesty,
temperance, courage, wisdom,
perseverance, integrity, fairness and
diligence.
INDIVIDUAL MORALITY

The community ethics or social
dimension of ethics deals with the
shared norms that regulate family
and social life, or the principles that
guide the conduct of individuals in
their family and community
relationships.
Its purpose is to achieve the
perfection or good functioning of
the family and society; or, what is
the same, the harmony, unity and
cohesion within the family units,
communities, societies, nations and
world.
For which, according to the different ethical traditions, it
is required:
1) Comply with family duties, such as respect for parents
and grandparents, fraternal brotherhood, fidelity
between spouses and care of children.
2) Perform well the different functions or social roles,
either as educator, professional or public servant.
3) Respect common principles of justice and current
legislation.
4) Become a good citizen, and contribute to the common
good and happiness of all.
5) And practice social virtues such as friendship,
companionship, charity, solidarity, tolerance,
reciprocity and cooperation.
SOCIAL OR COMMUNITY ETHICS

PERFECTION OR MORAL MATURITY AS THE INNER HARMONY BETWEEN THE DESIRES OF
THE BODY AND THE MIND
A first basic aspect of individual perfection is to achieve an
inner harmony between the desires of the body and the
aspirations of the mind. In fact, this is the goal of character
education that all young people should receive in their
families and at school.
The human being is made to fulfill two ends, the individual
purpose of maintaining his own existence and seeking his
own satisfaction, and the purpose of relating to others and
seeking a shared happiness.
For this reason, besides having physical needs and desires
to fill them in order to feel satisfied and happy individually,
we also have intellectual, artistic and emotional aspiration
that impels us to relate to others, and to form families and
communities in which we can be exchanged knowledge,
love, affections, care, goods and services with others.
Satisfying the physical needs of the
body is a basic and indispensable
condition for being able to live as an
individual, but it is only a means to fulfill
the aspirations of the mind to seek
greater shared happiness in relationships
of love with other human beings.
As they grow, people must mature
their character, leaving behind self-
centered childish attitudes and
motivations and, following the desires of
their mind or conscience, give priority to
the purpose of making others happy
ahead of the purpose of pursuing self-
satisfaction.

The balance in the solar system, between the
sun, the earth and the moon, is established when
the moon rotates on its own axis while revolving
around the earth, and the earth also rotates on
its own axis at the same time that both, earth
and moon united, revolve around the sun.
Similarly, the harmony or balance between
body desires and mind desires is only possible
when the body, while rotating around its own
desires to fulfill the individual purpose, turns
around the desires of the mind, and the mind
while rotating in itself also revolves around the
family, community, nation or world in order that
both, mind and body united, fulfill the purpose of
serving the whole.
ANALOGY BETWEEN THE SOLAR SYSTEM AND THE DESIRES OF BODY AND MIND

Rotation on itselfRevolution around something bigger
Purpose for the whole Individual purpose
BodyMind
Family
Society
Nation
World
Rotation on itselfRevolution around something bigger
Purpose for the whole Individual purpose
ANALOGY BETWEEN
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
AND THE DESIRES OF
THE BODY AND MIND

It could be said that the body's desires that
impel us to fulfill the individual purpose —
metaphorically speaking— turn the body
around itself.
But, at the same time, the body should
revolve around the mind, that is, the desires of
the body should be in function of the desires of
the mind.
Having food, clothing, shelter, belongings
and good health, although they are basic
conditions necessary for life, are not its main
purpose, but are only means or instruments to
satisfy the desires of the mind that impel us to
lead a life of search for truth, beauty and
goodness.
Likewise, the mind also has an individual
purpose, that is, —metaphorically speaking— it
revolves around itself.We wish to receive a good
education, acquire knowledge, qualify
professionally, cultivate artistic talents, perfect
ourselves, form a good character, achieve a
balance or inner peace, and achieve self-control.
But, at the same time, the desires of the mind
push it to turn around something larger.The mind
wants to relate to others, to seek shared ways of
life, to build families and societies, and to use
their own talents and abilities to contribute
voluntarily to the well-being of their families,
communities and nations.
Analogy between the solar system and the desires of the body and mind

Problems arise when the order is reversed
and the individual thinks that he exists only
for himself, or that the main purpose of his
life is to satisfy the needs of the body. So,
having studies, getting a position or
cultivating talents becomes instruments to
satisfy material greed or sexual appetite.
For this reason, Socrates, in the midst of a
society that worshiped the body and
physical beauty, taught the care or
cultivation of the soul and encouraged
people to undertake the search for truth,
goodness, inner beauty and justice, as well
as to dialogue and try to find together these
common and universal values.
«Man of Athens, the most important
and famous city concerning to wisdom
and power, do not you feel ashamed of
struggling to increase your wealth as much
as possible, as well as your fame and
honors, and, instead, not caring or
worrying about wisdom and truth, and
about making your soul the best
possible?»
Platón, Defensa de Sócrates, Obras completas,
Aguilar, Madrid, 1972, p. 209.
The problem of reversing the order of the purposes

By subordinating the body's desires to the dictates of conscience one can acquire
self-control and attain inner peace
In other words, when we subordinate the
desires of the body to the dictates of conscience,
we can attain a moral maturity and acquire a
self-control or dominion over our own desires.
We can thus achieve a state of inner peace
that allows us to experience complete
happiness, satisfying both desires, those of mind
and body, in a balanced way.
This harmony or inner peace is impossible
when, due to an immature, ignorant and
egocentric attitude, we place individual
satisfaction as the single or main end of our
lives, and we relegate to a second term or forget
the purpose of serving others.
By making the mind revolve around the body
desires, the natural order is reversed.That is, studies,
career, knowledge, artistic talents, skills, will power
and capacity to work become instruments or means
to satisfy one's own material or sexual greed, to
pursue the vanity of glory, the erotic of power or the
drug of fame, easily falling into all kinds of compulsive
behaviors such as addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex,
gambling, etc.
In this way it is impossible to achieve inner peace,
for the mind, and especially the conscience, never
submits to the egoistic desires of the body. So both
become like two positive poles of a magnet that repel
each other, producing a continuous state of internal
tearing or contradiction.

“Before you desire to have dominion over
the universe, you should first have dominion
over yourself.”This is the first article in the
life of faith.To attain self-perfection you
should have dominion over yourself.
Sun Myung Moon
Who is strong? He who controls his
passions.
Mishnah, Abot 4.1
If a man wins in battle to a thousand
enemies and still more, and another defeat
oneself, this victory would mean a greater
triumph, since the greatest victory is the one
that we wins over oneself.
Dhammapada 103-5
Wise is who knows men and clairvoyant who
knows himself. Who defeat others has strength,
but only is strong who defeat himself.
TaoTe Ching 33
Who then is free?The wise man, who
governs himself.
Horace, Satires
Victory over oneself is the first and most
glorious of all victories, while defeat in which
one is beaten by his own arms is undoubtedly
the most shameful and degrading thing.
Plato
Today, in our so-called free societies, we
should remember Seneca when he said:
«No one who is a slave to his body is free.»
In fact, in all ancient religious and
philosophical ethical traditions, the need
for a self-control to achieve individual
perfection or maturity is emphasized, as
can be seen in the following quotes:

PERFECTION OR MORAL MATURITY AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAPACITY TO LOVE
A second, more fundamental aspect of
individual perfection or maturity is the
development of the capacity to love, which
requires a lifetime of experiences and efforts to
cultivate it fully.This is the goal of heart
education that we should all receive in a family.
The human being is made to be happy through
giving and receiving love, loving and being loved.
Hence, in a very simple way, his moral
development consists essentially in cultivating
his capacity to give and receive love. As a child,
you learn first to receive love, and then gradually
develop the ability to give love until you are able
to love unconditionally.
In the stage of childhood, children receive
protection, care, affection, education and love
from their parents and, in return, their capacity
to give or to respond is still very limited.
It is obvious that receiving is easier than
giving.Therefore, receiving is the first thing
you learn, and then you have to develop
gradually the capacity to give.
As children grow up, through imitating the
example of their parents, and through their
own experiences in having relationships with
their brothers and sisters, classmates and
friends, they become aware of the need to
learn to give.

In this way, we reach the stage of
adolescence and youth in which
relationships of giving and receiving
mutual and reciprocal begin.The self-
centered attitude of the child is
abandoned, and the ability to put oneself
in the other's place and to treat others at
least in the same measure or treatment
received is developed.
In adulthood, by forming a family,
having children and developing a
professional activity, people move on to a
stage in which the ability to give or do
things in a selfless way is developed or
should be developed even more. It is the
stage in which one has to learn to give
more than what is received.
Relationships between husband and wife
require, in order to function well, an attitude of
service and wanting to make the spouse happy,
rather than waiting to receive from the other.
And especially when you have children is when
you learn to give or sacrifice for them in an
unselfish way and without expecting anything in
return.
If a person is able to extend the same heart or
feelings that he/she feels towards his/her children
to all human beings and, even without having own
children, he/she is able to develop this kind of
unconditional fatherly or motherly heart towards all
people, respecting them and valuing them as they
were his/her own children, then we would be talking
about a person who has reached the highest degree
of individual perfection or maturity.

 Families are the basic units or
bricks with which society and the
world are built
 Family is a microcosm of the
universe
 Universal and invariable family
rules and conventional and variable
rules
 The moral maker role of the family
 The family: School of love, of
virtues and respect for norms
FAMILY ETHICS
 The family is the school of love par
excellence in which the education of
the heart is imparted
 The family is the school where the
more elementary good habits or
virtues are cultivated, as well as the
respect for the most basic moral norms
 The most essential and important
education is the education of the heart
 Analogy between family ethics and the
order of the universe

Social or community ethics aims to
guarantee stability, cohesion and
common happiness in the family,
society, nation or world.
Given that the family is the first and
simplest social unit in which people are
born, raised and educated, and that
the desire to form a family is one of the
most basic and universal, we begin
with the study of family ethics.
FAMILY ETHICS

Families are like the cells of the social
organism. Individuals cannot be these basic
units or cells of society because, among other
reasons, they cannot multiply or reproduce by
themselves.
In addition, the family structure is present
universally in virtually all past and present
cultures and societies, and all historical
attempts to establish communities or
societies trying to eliminate the family
structure ended up in complete failures.
Families are the basic units or bricks with which society
and the world are built

The family is a microcosm that is governed by natural laws and
unchanging moral laws. In fact, in the universe all beings and things
exist in the form of pairs of masculine and feminine entities, and the
most simple and general law of the cosmos is the universality of
reciprocal interactions between pairs of complementary entities, or
law of giving and receiving.These interactions are the ones that
guarantee the existence, movement, stability and cohesion of all the
systems of the universe.
Similarly, the harmonious union between husband and wife is
governed by that same general law that governs the universe, that is
to say, it is realized through relationships of mutual exchanges of love,
care and services, which are the ones that guarantee the existence,
multiplication, stability and happiness of the family.
Family is a microcosm of the universe

Particles Positive Negative
Molecules Cation Anion
Atoms Proton Electron
Plants Stamen Pistil
Animals Male Female
Human beings Man Woman

Common
Purpose
ObjectSubject
Cohesion, existence, movement,
action, multiplication, progress and
development of all individual entities,
systems and organisms

Parents
Children
Husband Wife
The relations of reciprocal exchanges of love, care, ideals, goods
and services are which guarantee the existence, multiplication,
stability and common happiness of the family

For this reason, there are universal family norms which are invariable
moral laws, such as the universal precepts of filial piety, conjugal
fidelity, fraternity and paternal and maternal sacrificial love, as well as
the prohibitions of incest and adultery.
Proof of this is that the violation of that rules causes the
deterioration or disruption of the give and take circuit between family
members and the destruction of harmony and family happiness.
In addition to these unchanging moral laws, in the family there are
other less important or secondary rules or norms that are conventional
and variable, such as the particular division of tasks or social roles.
Universal and invariable family rules and conventional
and variable rules

The most natural place, the most
favorable circumstances and the most
beneficial environment for the human
being to form his character and
conscience, acquire good habits and
reach a moral maturity or self-control is
or should be the family.
The majority of educators and
psychologists, as well as all religions,
agree on highlighting the extraordinary
importance of the family in the moral
development of individuals.
The moral maker role of the family

«The family is the school of love; it is the most important school in
life. Within the family, children cultivate the depth and breadth of
their heart to love others. It is education of love and emotion that
only parents can provide, and it becomes the foundation stone to
form the children’s character.
The family is also the school teaching virtues, norms and manners.
It is the way of Heaven that people receive academic education,
physical education and technical education on the foundation of this
primary education of heart and virtues. »
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul, HSA-UWC, 271:80, (August 22, 1995).
The family: School of love, of virtues and respect for norms

The family is the school of love par excellence in which the education
of the heart is imparted
And later, through experiencing
conjugal and parental love, they develop
even more the capacity to give love, to the
point of being able to love unconditionally,
that is, with the simple aim of making
others happy.
In this way, they may progress towards a
moral maturity leaving behind the
children's egocentric motivations, passing
through the young people’s motivations of
expectations of shared happiness, until
reaching the unselfish and sacrificial
motivations of parents.
The education of the heart is
what teaches the most
important and fundamental
human needs, that is, to learn to
give and receive love, to love and
to be loved.
First, children learn to receive
love and, to a lesser extent, to
give. As they grow, they cultivate
their capacity to give love so that
in the juvenile age they exercise
in a reciprocal giving and
receiving.

Wanting to receive
more than give
Giving and receiving
in equal measure
Give more than
what is received
Give
unconditionally
Education of the Heart:
Develop the capacity to give and receive love
ChildrenParents
Sisters
Wife
Parents
Brothers
Childhood
Juvenile stage
Marriage
Maturity
Children
Husband

The family is the school where the more elementary good habits or virtues are
cultivated, as well as the respect for the most basic moral norms
For example, they do not lie
because it is understood that it is
something necessary to not break
the relationships of love and mutual
trust with friends or colleagues.
Later, when a family is formed
and children are born, a third stage
of interdependence begins, in
which one can cultivate mutual
fidelity, benevolence, compassion
and sacrificial capacity.And people
can develop an unconditional
respect for certain universal moral
norms, although its observance
may cause damages to themselves.
In a first stage of child dependence, the
trust and filial piety towards the parents is
cultivated.At the same time, because of this
trust and stimulated by rewards and
punishments, the child learns to respect the
elementary moral norms that their parents
inculcate them, such as not lying, not taking
things away, not hurting oneself or others,
and sharing things or helping others.
In a second juvenile stage of autonomy or
independence, honesty, reciprocity,
cooperation, trust and mutual help are
cultivated, and moral norms are being
respected, not because parents dictate them
but by instances of the own conscience.

Trust and filial piety are cultivated toward parents
A child learns not to lie, not insult, not hurt and do
not take things away from others
Parents can cultivate mutual fidelity,
benevolence, compassion and sacrificial capacity
People can develop an unconditional respect for
certain universal moral norms
Honesty, reciprocity, cooperation, trust and
mutual help are cultivated
Young people begin to respect moral norms by
instances of their own conscience
Children stage
Juvenile stage
Stage of maturity
The family is the school where the more elementary good habits or virtues are
cultivated, as well as the respect for the most basic moral norms

It is precisely this cultivation of the
capacity to give love for the simple
purpose of making others happy which
guarantees the stability, fluidity and
continuity of relationships and,
therefore, the maximum joy and
happiness shared in common.
In fact, the formation of the
character or acquisition of virtues and
the respect for norms are only means
to reach that end, just like being a
good driver and respecting the traffic
rules are only means to arrive safely to
the desired destination.
Therefore, three types of education are imparted in
the family; the education of the heart, the education
of character or virtues, and the education of duty or
respect for norms. However, the most essential and
important is the education of the heart, that teaches
to cultivate the potential or capacity to give love in an
altruistic and sacrificial way.
This is because human beings have been configured
to experience maximum happiness or joy through
establishing stable, fluid and intense relationships of
reciprocal exchanges with their loved ones, namely,
giving and receiving love, loving and being loved. In
these relationships of love, the persons find their
identity, their value and the meaning of their lives.
The most essential and important education is the education of the heart

Sun Myung Moon even assigns a divine and eternal dimension
to the parental, conjugal and filial love that is experienced in the
family, as can be seen in this quote:
«God’s love abides where parents, husband and wife, and
children are united in love. Where these three kinds of love
come together, God dwells absolutely and for eternity.
This family is God’s dwelling-place. Wherever there is
unchanging parental love, unchanging conjugal love, and
unchanging children’s love, God is always present.»
Sun Myung Moon, Speech Collection Books, Seoul, HSA-UWC, 131:112, (April 22, 1984).

Horizontal relationships
SistersBrothers
WifeHusbandVertical
relationships
Parents
In a family there are two basic types of human relationships; A type of relations
that we could designate as vertical relationships, that is, between people who are
in different positions or levels of responsibility, some superior and some inferior;
and other type of relations that we could call horizontal relationships, namely,
between people who are in a similar position or level of responsibility, that is,
between equals.
ANALOGY BETWEEN FAMILY ETHICS AND THE ORDER OF THE UNIVERSE
Children

In the vertical relationships between parents
and children, children trust, respect and feel
gratitude to their parents, whom they consider
superior in age, experience and wisdom, because
they love and protect them. And, on the other
hand, parents are in the position of having given
birth to their children and become responsible to
offer them love, protection, care and physical and
emotional well-being, which gives them their
parental authority.
The virtues that should be practiced in such
vertical relationships could be designated as
vertical family virtues, which in essence are
benevolence and unconditional love on the part
of parents, and filial piety and obedience on the
part of the children.
Vertical
family
virtues
Vertical
relationships
Vertical relationships and vertical family virtues
Parents
Children

The horizontal relationships between
husband and wife, or between brothers
and sisters, are basically relationships
between equals that are due to trust,
fidelity and mutual respect.
It can be said, then, that the horizontal
familial virtues of honesty and mutual
fidelity between spouses, and
brotherhood and mutual assistance
between brothers and sisters, should be
the one that should govern these
horizontal relationships of giving and
receiving.
Horizontal family virtues
Horizontal relationships and horizontal family virtues
SistersBrothers
WifeHusband

Thus, we could say that the stability and happiness
of the family is based on harmonious vertical and
horizontal relationships of giving and receiving love,
which create two types of order.
A vertical order, in which the children
metaphorically revolve around the parents and those
around the grandparents in a way analogous to the
vertical order established in the universe in which
successive celestial bodies revolve around higher
centers, such as the moon, the earth, the sun and the
center of the galaxy.
And a horizontal order in which the brothers and
sisters metaphorically revolve together around the
parents, in a way analogous to the horizontal order
established by the planets that revolve in different
orbits around the sun.
Vertical and horizontal order in the family and vertical and horizontal order in the universe

UnificationThought uses this
analogy to claim that the ethical
norms and virtues that must
govern the family are based on
the same universal law that
governs the universe, the law of
giving and receiving, named in
this quote as the “Way of
Heaven,” a term with a long
tradition in Eastern culture:
«The human being is a substantial being that
integrates the universe, that is, a microcosm
miniaturizing the universe, and the family is a
microcosmic system miniaturizing the system of the
universe.
The law that interpenetrates the entire universe is
the “Way of Heaven,” which is also called “Logos.”
Accordingly, the norm for family life, or ethics, is
the manifestation in a miniature form of theWay of
Heaven.
Therefore, the family norm is exactly theWay of
Heaven within the condensed scope of the family.»
Sung Hun Lee, New Essentials of Unification Thought, UTI,
Korea, 2006, p. 284.
Family norms and virtues and the “Way of Heaven”

M = Mercury
V = Venus
E = Earth
M = Mars
J = Jupiter
S = Saturn
U = Uranus
N = Neptune
P = Pluto
Vertical and Horizontal Order within the Family
S S S S S S S S S
Great Grandparents
Grandparents
Parents
Children
Grandchildren
Vertical order
Horizontal order
Siblings
M V E M J S U N P
Center of the Universe
Galactic center
Sun
Earth
Moon
Vertical order
Horizontal order
Planets
Analogy between family ethics and the order of the universe
Vertical and Horizontal Order in the Universe

 Society: A large-scale family
 The school is like an extension
of the family home
 The company is like an
amplification of the family
 The nation is like an extended
family on a grand scale
 The world is like a big family
 Family ethics serves as a model
for social ethics
 Society is like a big family
 The two types of civic virtues that have
to be practiced in society
 Vertical civic virtues
 Horizontal civic virtues
 Vertical civic virtues are the root from
where horizontal civic virtues springs
 The cause of social conflicts lies in
individual, family, corporate and
national selfishness
SOCIAL ETHICS IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE-SCALE EXPANSION OF FAMILY ETHICS

Family ethics serve as a basic model for the different social
ethics, that is, social ethics is essentially a large-scale expansion
of family ethics.
On the one hand, the vertical relationships —that is, between
persons who are in more responsible positions and another
more dependent ones— that are established in educational
institutions between teachers and students, in companies
between executives and employees, in groups, associations or
parties between leaders and associates, and in public
institutions between the rulers and citizens, are essentially
similar to the relationships between parents and children.
And, on the other hand, the horizontal relationships —that is,
between equals— that are established between classmates, co-
workers, associates or citizens in general are similar to the
relationships that exist between brothers and sisters.
SOCIAL ETHICS IS ESSENTIALLY A LARGE-SCALE EXPANSION OF FAMILY ETHICS

Family Society
Children
Parents
Students
Teachers
Vertical relationships
WifeHusband
StudentsStudents
Brothers Sisters
Businessmen
Employees
Rulers
Citizens
Colleagues Colleagues
Citizens Citizens
Society: A large-scale family

In the school, the teachers take the place of the parents or
grandparents, fulfilling the function that they cannot exert, of
imparting a large and specialized education.
For this reason, teachers should exercise their educational work
as substitutes for parents, treating the students as if they were
their own children, showing a paternal or maternal heart, a
sacrificial dedication and a good example.
Students, on the other hand, should correspond to teachers
with the same gratitude, respect and admiration they feel towards
their parents.
The relationships of fellowship and friendship between male and
female students are in turn similar to the relationships of trust and
mutual help that exist between brothers and sisters within the
family.
The school is like an extension of the family home

The vertical relationships between teachers and
students are similar to those between parents and
children. For this reason, teachers should exercise their
educational labor as substitutes for parents, showing a
paternal or maternal heart, a sacrificial dedication and a
good example.
Students, on the other hand, should correspond to
teachers with the same gratitude, respect and
admiration they feel towards their parents.
The horizontal relationships of fellowship and
friendship between students are similar to the
relationships of trust and mutual help that exist
between brothers and sisters within a family.
Vertical and horizontal relationships in school
Students
Teachers Parents
Children≈
≈
Female
Students
Male
Students
Brothers Sisters
≈
≈
The school is like an extension of the family home

Companies are also like a big family, as you can see by studying their
origins or historical background. For example, primitive tribes or extended
families of hunters and collectors, extended families or tribes of nomadic
shepherds, self-sufficient farms of extended families of peasants, and the
bourgeois artisan family workshops.
In fact, today small and medium-sized family businesses are a very
important segment for the national economy, and in the eastern countries,
the employees of large conglomerates or multinationals are considered part
of a large family. Companies offer their employees security and protection,
and they correspond with loyalty.
The company is like an amplification of the family
Instead of being antagonistic and conflicting as in theWestern
capitalist tradition, the relationship between employers and employees
should resemble those between parents and children, employers
offering employees protection, stability and economic security, and
employees responding with diligence, cooperation, and loyalty.
Relationships between
co-workers are also an
extension of the
relationships between
brothers and sisters.

The vertical relationships between employers and
employees should resemble those between parents
and children, employers offering employees
protection, stability and economic security, and
employees responding with diligence, cooperation,
and loyalty.
The horizontal relationships of camaraderie and
friendship between co-workers are also an
extension of the reciprocal and mutual aid
relationships that exist between brothers and
sisters within a family.
Vertical and horizontal relationships in the company
Employees
Parents
Children≈
≈
Brothers Sisters
≈
≈
The company is like an amplification of the family
Employer
Male
Co-workers
Female
Co-workers

The nation as a whole, with its public
institutions, is also similar to a large-scale family in
which political leaders fulfill a parental-like
function as public servants who devote their time
and energy to the mission of solving the problems
of their fellow citizens, providing them with
greater security, peace and general well-being.
Citizens, for their part, should reciprocate with
gratitude, cooperation and loyalty.
Relationships between fellow citizens should
also be fraternal or solidary, as among brothers
and sisters.
The nation is like an extended family on a grand scale

The vertical relationships between political
leaders and citizens should resemble those
between parents and children, public servants
working to solve the problems of their fellow
citizens and provide them with security, peace
and general well-being, and citizens, for their
part, reciprocating with gratitude, cooperation
and loyalty.
The horizontal relationships among fellow
citizens should also be fraternal and solidary,
as between brothers and sisters.
Vertical and horizontal relationships in the nation
Political
leaders Parents
Children≈
≈
Brothers Sisters
≈
≈
The nation is like an extended family on a grand scale
Citizens
Male
Citizens
Female
Citizens

The world is like a big family
At the global level, international agencies and
humanitarian organizations fulfill the parental role of
mediating in conflicts between nations, providing loans
in the situation of economic crises, and offering health
and economic aid to nations suffering from any kind of
humanitarian disasters.
At the same time, relationships between nations
should be fraternal relations of cooperation, assistance
and mutual trust.
And, in general, all human beings, whatever their
gender, race, nationality, culture or religion, should treat
each other as brothers and sisters, as expressed in the
Stoic, Christian and Democratic ideal of universal
fraternity.

In The vertical relationships between international
organizations and nations, the former fulfill the
parental role of mediating in conflicts among
nations, providing credit in the event of economic
crises, and offering health and economic assistance
to nations suffering from humanitarian disasters.
The horizontal relationships between nations
should be fraternal relations of cooperation,
assistance and mutual trust. And, in general, all
human beings, regardless of gender, race,
nationality, culture or religion, should be treated as
Vertical and horizontal relationships in the world
Nations
Parents
Children≈
≈
NationsNations
Brothers Sisters
≈
≈
The world is like a big family
International
organizations

The attitudes, motivations, virtues and ethical norms that
regulate family relationships and social relationships are
essentially the same.Therefore, it can be said that the ethics of
social institutions —that is, educational ethics, business ethics,
professional ethics, political ethics, etc. — are essentially based
on the model of family ethics.
In fact, when children have a good vertical relationship with
their parents and grandparents, it will be easier for them to
relate properly to their teachers at school or bosses at work; And
if they have a good horizontal relationship with their brothers
and sisters, this will help them to relate better to their
classmates or coworker.
In the same way, sacrificial parents devoted to their children
may be better teachers, businesspersons, leaders or public
servants.
Family ethics serves as a model for social ethics

Social relationships should be impregnated with the same
love, affectivity and intimacy that surround family relationships.
For example, when dealing with older people, we should treat
them with the same respect that we treat our parents, uncles or
grandparents; when relating with people of our own age, we
should consider them as our own brothers and sisters or cousins;
when handling with younger people we should take care of
them as if they were our younger brothers or sisters, sons or
daughters, or grandchildren.
This type of feelings is rare in ourWestern culture atomized
and individualistic, but, in contrast, are not strangers in many
Eastern cultures in which there are extended families and they
are also gathered into larger clans.
Society is like a big family

Consider the family of humankind one.
Jainism. Adipurana 76
Regard old women the way you regard
your mother. Regard those who are older
than you the way you regard your elder
sisters; regard those who are younger than
you as your younger sisters, and regard
children as your own. Bring forth thoughts to
rescue them, and put an end to bad thoughts.
Buddhism. Sutra of Forty-two Sections 29
Do not rebuke an older man but exhort
him as you would a father; treat younger
men like brothers, older women like
mothers, younger women like sisters, all in
purity.
Christianity. 1Timothy 5.1-2
You should understand that the path of
humankind is to love all kinds of people,
expanding from the love you have for the
members of your own family.
You should love elderly people as your
grandparents, middle-aged people as your
parents, people a few years older than you as
your elder brothers and sisters, and people [a
few years] younger than you as your younger
Sun Myung Moon
One Global Family
The awareness that we are part of the great
family of humanity and that we should treat
ourselves fraternally with love and respect is a
belief widely shared by all religions, as can be
seen in the following quotes:

Vertical
relationships
SistersBrothers
WifeHusband
Parents Vertical
civic
virtues
Horizontal civic virtues
Thus, we could say that in society two types of civic virtues, vertical-type and horizontal-type,
should be cultivated, which correspond to the vertical relationships between people who are in
different positions or levels of responsibility —whose family model is the relationships between
parents and children— and to the horizontal relationships between equals, that is, people who
have a similar position or responsibility —whose family model is the relationship between
brothers and sisters, or between husband and wife.
The two types of civic virtues that have to be practiced in society
Children

Vertical civic virtues would include, on the one
hand, benevolence, sacrificial dedication,
unselfish attitude, spirit of service, protection of
general interests, good personal example, good
exercise of responsibility, and good governance
by teachers, professionals, executives, social
leaders and rulers.
And, on the other hand, the corresponding
gratitude, respect, trust, admiration, loyalty,
diligence, collaboration and active participation in
public affairs by students, employees, colleagues
and citizens.
Vertical civic virtues

Vertical civic virtues
Children
Parents
Students
Teachers
Benevolence, affection, compassion, protection, dedication, sacrifice and good
example by the parents
Filial piety, respect, trust and devotion on the part of the children
Employees
Citizens
Paternal and maternal heart, dedication, sacrifice and good example by the
teachers
Respect, admiration and obedience on the part of the students
Good management and protection of the rights and interests of partners and
employees by the employers
Good governance, service attitude, defense of public interests and respect for
human rights by the rulers
Loyalty, cooperation and active participation in public affairs on the part of the
citizens
Loyalty, hard work and diligence on the part of the employees
Businessman
Rulers

refer to cooperation,
reciprocity, fraternity,
tolerance, solidarity,
fellowship, friendship,
courtesy, sympathy,
commiseration, help,
assistance, fidelity and
mutual trust among
relatives, friends, and
citizens in general.

WifeHusband
StudentsStudents
FriendsFriends
RelativesRelatives
Brothers Sisters
Colleagues Colleagues
Citizens Citizens
Trust, solicitude, fidelity and
mutual respect
Friendship, fraternity and
fellowship
Cooperation and reciprocity
Solidarity, courtesy and sympathy
And compassion, mutual help
between relatives,
colleagues, friends and
citizens in general

In the family, the parents represent the
whole family and love equally all the
brothers and sisters.Then, when the
children trust and admire their parents, they
also feel moved to protect, love or care for
their younger siblings induced by parents’
love for them.
In fact, when children lose this confidence
in their parents, or hate them because of
abandonment or mistreatment, they often
become rebellious and violent against their
brethren, and against the whole world.
Vertical civic virtues are the root from where horizontal civic
virtues springs
Something very similar happens in the
social field. When young people trust,
respect or admire an exemplary leader or
public figure who works for the common
good, they feel moved to emulate him and
dedicate themselves to an altruistic work
that benefits their fellow men.
If, by the contrary, young people or
citizens lose their confidence in social
leaders because of their corruption, they
may become rebels adopting antisocial
behaviors.

Parents
Paternal and
maternal love
Gratitude, trust and
admiration
Encourage children to imitate them
They care and love their siblings
Teachers, sages, heroes, patriots or
leaders who show an example of love
and sacrifice for others
Young people trust, respect
and admire them
The desire to imitate them awakens
They undertake an altruistic or caring work
that benefits their fellow citizens
Vertical civic virtues are the root from where horizontal civic virtues springs
Exemplary
people
Youth
Citizens
Brothers Sisters Citizens Citizens
Children

The vertical civic virtues are those that induce and motivate the
practice of the horizontal civic virtues
Vertical Civic
Virtues
Horizontal
Civic Virtues
Paternal and maternal love, benevolence, good
examples of dedication and sacrifice
Trust, faith, loyalty, respect and admiration for
exemplary persons
Fraternity, camaraderie, friendship, cooperation,
reciprocity, courtesy, solidarity, help and mutual
assistance among colleagues, friends and citizens in
general

Like the family problems, much of the social conflict
arises when those in the parental position —due to
selfishness and lack of personal self-control— do not
adequately fulfill their functions by abusing their
authority, mistreating and exploiting people who are in
their charge, or are corrupted by material or sexual greed,
as in the case of employers who exploit their employees,
or corrupt political leaders who plunder their people.
There are also problems of family selfishness, which
only seeks to enrich the family forgetting to help their
neighbors and communities.
Another source of conflict is group selfishness, such as
corporatism, partisanship or classism, which causes a class
or minority to pursue its own partisan interests by
hoarding riches, privileges and power to the detriment of
the rest of society.
The cause of social conflicts lies in individual, family, corporate and national selfishness
Other problems have their origin in
national egotisms, which cause nations to
accumulate power or wealth forgetting to
help the rest of the world, whose most
extreme cases are imperialism,
nationalism or colonialism.
There are also serious conflicts and
wars caused by cultural, racial and
religious selfishness that make certain
cultures, races or religions claim
supremacy over others, such as
ethnocentrisms, racism and religious
fanaticism.

COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL MORALITY AND SOCIAL ETHICS
 The practice of individual morality
reinforces family and community ethics
 The exercise of family and community
ethics reinforces the value, self-esteem
and identity of the individual
 Family and social relations exert a great
influence, both for good and bad, on the
moral development of people
 When and why does the conflict between
individual moral conscience and
community ethics occur?

Individual morality is not antagonistic to
community ethics, but both dimensions
complement and reinforce each other.
This is so because individual morality does
not induce human beings to let themselves be
dragged by their selfish sensuous desires, but
to live guided by their conscience.
And this one encourages them not to lie,
not to kill, to fulfill the promises, to love and
respect others and to make them happy,
which are precisely the basic moral
prescriptions of family and social ethics.
If a person strives to perfect his
character and achieve self-control or
inner peace, in addition to developing
his capacity to love and practice
individual moral virtues —such as purity,
honesty, temperance, courage, wisdom,
perseverance, honesty, fairness and
diligence— surely this will help him to
establish harmonious family and social
relationships, becoming a good son or
daughter, an exemplary father and
mother, and a good neighbor and
citizen.
The practice of individual morality strengthens family and community ethics

If a person serves his nation acquires a
higher value, since he will be considered
by all his fellow citizens as a patriot.
And in the case that he dedicated his
life to the benefit of people of other
nations or cultures he will reach an even
higher value, since he will be appreciated
and valued as a saint or a great man for
all humanity.
Thus, it can be seen that the exercise
of family and community ethics
reinforces the value, self-esteem and
identity of the individual.
In fact, the individual finds his
identity, reinforces his self-esteem and
acquires an increasing value as he
devotes his life to a larger group of
people.
If an individual lives only for himself,
who apart from himself can consider
him a valuable being? Normally he ends
up abandoned by everyone and even
loses his sense of identity and self-
esteem.
When someone lives for his family he
will be appreciated and valued at least
by the members of his family.
The exercise of family and community ethics reinforces the value, self-esteem
and identity of the individual

This complementarity and mutual
reinforcement between individual morality
and family and social ethics can also be seen
observing the moral development of people.
For example, if parents are a model of
sacrificial dedication and personal integrity
and give a good education and discipline to
their children, and these respond with
gratitude and trust, it is obvious that this will
greatly enhance the moral development of
children.Therefore, in Chinese culture,
parental benevolence and filial piety are
regarded as the mothers of all virtues.
On the contrary, bad examples, mistreatment
or abuses of paternal or maternal authority
predispose children to become rebels, not to
obey anyone, to transgress all moral norms, and
to harbor resentment, hatred or violence.
Similar disordered behavior is caused by lack
of personal attention, or lack of paternal or
maternal love. An example of this is the case of
families with wealthy parents who are very busy
earning money and do not have time to attend
to their children personally, or children growing
up without the presence of one of their parents.
Family and social relationships exert a great influence, both for good and bad,
on the moral development of people

An authoritarian education by the parents or
school, which attempts to impose rules of
conduct on young people by punishing them, can
also cause young people to become rebellious and
do the opposite of what their parents or teachers
want.
In the opposite case, more existing today,
complacent and permissive parents will make
their children become selfish, capricious and
without any control over themselves.
Husbands and wives can help each other to
perfect themselves as individuals, to mold the
roughness of character and to grow as they love
and serve each other. Both can mature even more
when they have children and learn to love and
sacrifice for their children in an unconditional way.
But in the case of marital infidelities
husband and wife can cause each other
deep wounds or psychological problems
that are very difficult to cure. In the same
way, the moral, affective and even
intellectual development of the children is
also affected by the separations or
divorces of the parents.
It is also evident the moral influence
exerted on people, both for good and bad,
by friends, classmates, teachers, co-
workers, media, famous youth idols,
artists, politicians and, in general, all the
socio-cultural and economic conditions in
which people live.
Husbands and wives can help each other to perfect themselves as individuals

Conflict occurs when the moral conscience of
individuals denounces social institutions, laws, or
norms that are unjust, cruel, discriminatory,
oppressive, demeaning, contrary to human
dignity or limiting their freedom and
responsibility.The same thing happens when
individuals rebel against bad parents, bad
teachers, bad bosses or bad rulers, tyrants or
dictators.
History teaches us that the moral conscience
of people has been the most powerful force that
has contributed to eliminate slavery, tyranny,
oppression, intolerance, racism, and many
ancient inhuman customs, helping to create a
more just world.
This is proved by the fact that prophets,
founders of religions, great philosophers,
revolutionaries and social reformers who
denounced the injustices of their time, even
though they were persecuted or condemned by
the society in which they lived, they awakened
and mobilized consciences. So, sooner or later,
they succeeded to reform social systems,
institutions, customs or unjust laws.
But this does not mean that the individual
moral conscience has to be in eternal conflict with
social laws and norms, which is to say that these
will always be unjust, and that any kind of
authority will always be oppressive and corrupt.
When and why does the conflict between individual moral conscience and
community ethics occur?

One of the main factors that would contribute
to creating a common universal consciousness
that would harmonize individual moral
conscience with community ethics would be to
reach the general conviction about the certainty
or validity of a universal ethical principles.
Kohlberg put precisely at the highest level of
moral development people who are convinced of
the validity of universal ethical principles and
who act accordingly.
These universal ethical principles should be
derived from the general principles that operate
in nature, since nature is the common field of
study of both science and philosophy and
religion.
They would also have to coincide with that
universal core values or intuitive certainties
present in the individual consciences of people of
all nations, religions, races and cultures, which
are strikingly coincident despite having been
elaborated in such distinct temporal and
geographical circumstances and expressed with
different concepts and languages.
THE NEED FOR UNIVERSAL ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

Individual Morality and Social Ethics book 2 chap 7

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