Some Comments on Ethics

Over on the Donor Power Blog, Jeff Brooks has cited a recent study showing a decline in ethics in nonprofit organizations. Not one to leave this important topic unaddressed, I posted this comment:

It's not really surprising that nonprofit ethics are in a sorry state. Generally, there is what one might call an ethics crisis throughout American society.

Various sociological and cultural phenomenon play into this, but perhaps the most important, in my opinion, is the general failure to learn from history, from the past.

Civilizations have been most successful when abiding by some well-known ethical consensus, a kind of "basic law" if you will, which a majority choose to follow.

Times when such conditions have flourished include the reign of King Ashoka in ancient India, a period virtually unknown to most Westerners, as well as several dynastic periods in ancient China. It might be noted that these were generally characterized by religious pluralism as well as respect for individuals on the part of rulers. Ashoka in particular stands out as a model leader.

In the West, such environments have existed at various times, including the rule of the judges in early Israel, Athens during its classical heyday, and at least the first 150 years of the American federal republic.

A general cure for this malady will not come about through social engineering but through voluntary awakening by many individuals that changes need to be made, beginning in our own daily lives.