BOOK SUMMARY - THE CODE FOR GLOBAL ETHICS: TEN HUMANIST PRINCIPLES - by Rodrigue Tremblay (2010)

Global warming, nuclear proliferation, economic instability and terrorism inspired by religious and cultural tensions are the dominant issues facing the world today.  There is thus a need to provide a humanist code for establishing the moral foundations for a just and peaceful global community.

Professor Rodrigue Tremblay, an economist and former Minister of Industry and Trade in the Government of Quebec awarded the prestigious Condorcet Prize of political philosophy in 2004, proposes these ten principles to capture the essence of the human ideals needed for us to face the future.

The ten principles are as follows:

1. Proclaim the natural dignity and inherent worth of all human beings.

2. Respect the life and property of others.

3. Practice tolerance and open-mindedness towards the choices and life styles of others.

4. Share with those who are less fortunate and mutually assist those who are in need of help.

5. Use neither lies, nor spiritual doctrine, nor temporal power to dominate and exploit others.

6. Rely on reason, logic and science to understand the Universe and to solve life's problems.

7. Conserve and improve the Earth's natural environment - land, soil, water, air and space - as humankind's common heritage.

8. Resolve differences and conflicts cooperatively without resorting to violence or to wars.

9. Organize public affairs according to individual freedom and responsibility, through political and economic democracy.

10. Develop one's intelligence and talents through education and effort.

 

THE TEN MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS I'VE LEARNT SO FAR

DANIEL'S TEN COMMANDMENTS:

1. Adopt a positive attitude.

2. Be kind to others; others will be kind to you.

3. Pursue excellence.

4. Hard work is necessary.

5. Love deeply without expectation of being loved in return.

6. Be sincere and authentic.

7. Setbacks are inevitable.

8. Learn to accept what you can't change.

9. Honesty is the best policy.

10. Never stop learning.

QUOTES FROM THE GREATEST PHILOSOPHERS OF ALL TIME

Karl Marx (1818-1883)

'The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.'

David Hume (1711-1776)

'Where men are the most sure and arrogant, they are commonly the most mistaken.'

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)  

'I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves.'  

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)

'The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.' 

Plato (427-347 BC)

'Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.'

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

'Only the descent into the hell of self-knowledge can pave the way to godliness.'

Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274)

'The most hopeful people in the world are the young and the drunk. The first because they have little experience of failure, and the second because they have succeeded in drowning theirs.'

Socrates (469-399 BC)

'The unexamined life is not worth living.'

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

'I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self.'

Karl Popper (1902-94)

'Philosophers should consider the fact that the greatest happiness principle can easily be made an excuse for a benevolent dictatorship.'

Rene Descartes (1596-1650)

'I think, therefore I am.'

Epicurus (c. 341 BC–270 BC) 

'It is impossible to live a pleasant life without living wisely and honorably and justly, and it is impossible to live wisely and honorably and justly without living pleasantly.'

Martin Heidegger (1889 –1976) 

'Why are there beings at all, instead of nothing?'

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) 

'[In] this war of every man against every man; nothing can be unjust. The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have there no place. Where there is no common power, there is no law, where no law, no injustice. Force, and fraud, are in war the cardinal virtues.'

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-55)  

"Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved.'

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

'Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.'

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

'Man is a rational animal - so at least I have been told. Throughout a long life, I have looked diligently for evidence in favor of this statement, but so far I have not had the good fortune to come across it.'

  

Jean-Paul Sartre (1905 - 1980)

'My thought is me: that is why I can't stop. I exist by what I think...and I can't prevent myself from thinking.'

Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860)

'All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.'

  

Baruch Spinoza (1632-1677)

'Ignorance is no argument.'   

  

IS IT POSSIBLE TO EAT MORE HEALTHILY AT MCDONALD'S? 

To answer this question, let's remember that a healthy diet should be one low in fat, sugar and salt but high in fibres.  For someone looking to keep his/her weight under control, a lower calorie diet may also be desired.

Now, let's look at the published nutritional values of the food at McDonald's:

 Breakfast

Item	Kcal	Protein	Fat	Saturated Fat	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Cholesterol	Dietary Fibres
Hashbrown	156	1	10	4.1	14	330	0	2
Big Breakfast	561	29	31	10.7	42	1100	428	5
Sausage McMuffin	280	15	12	5.4	26	870	32	4
Sausage McMuffin with Egg	364	22	18	6.6	27	990	172	4
Egg McMuffin (with turkey roll)	290	18	13	4.6	26	720	151	2
Hot Cakes	344	9	8	1.8	58	540	21	2
Hot Cakes with Sausage	433	17	14	3.8	60	950	42	3
McGriddle - Sausage with Egg	484	23	22	9.0	48	1570	172	3
McGriddle - Sausage	351	13	12	5.2	47	1200	21	3

If only one item is to be chosen, "Hot Cakes" may be the best choice for a main.  It has the lowest total and saturated fat, 2nd-lowest in cholesterol and salt and the 4th-lowest in calories.  However, it is the lowest in fibres and 2nd-highest in carbohydrates.

If you have to have a side, "Hashbrown" is a reasonable choice.

Lunch & Dinner

Item	Kcal	Protein	Fat	Saturated Fat	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Cholesterol	Dietary Fibres
Hamburger	249	12	8	4.1	33	480	16	3
Cheeseburger	298	14	12	6.8	33	720	27	3
Double Cheeseburger	433	25	22	12.7	33	1080	54	4
Big Mac	522	24	26	11.5	49	970	51	5
Filet-O-Fish	351	13	15	5.6	40	670	15	2
Chicken McNugget	331	18	15	5.6	16	530	60	1
McChicken	395	14	18	5.2	44	770	21	3
McSpicy Single (Whole muscle)	585	23	26	7.8	65	1320	75	3
McWings (2x mid wings, 2x wing sticks)	497	31	34	11.2	16	1100	81	1
Mega Big Mac	695	39	38	18.0	50	1210	84	7
DblMcSpicy - Whole muscle	924	42	42	13.6	96	2280	140	4
Quarter Pounder with Cheese	508	28	26	7.4	37	1031	38	5
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese	811	53	48	8.8	38	1178	61	9

Out of the main-meal burgers, "Hamburger" is the best choice as it is the lowest in total and saturated fat, sodium and calories, 2nd-lowest in cholesterol and joint 3rd-lowest in carbohydrates with some fibres provided.

Drinks, Sides & Desserts

Item	Kcal	Protein	Fat	Saturated Fat	Carbohydrates	Sodium	Cholesterol	Dietary Fibres
Apple Pie	232	2	13	6.3	26	190	0	2
Hot Fudge Sundae	334	6	10	6.1	55	180	1	6
Strawberry Sundae	283	4	7	3.2	51	90	0	5
Vanilla Sundae Cone - Small	147	3	4	2.0	24	60	0	3
McFlurry Oreo	400	7	14	6.6	62	230	0	8
Chocolate Shake	397	17	9	4.6	67	110	0	1
Vanilla Shake	390	16	9	4.6	67	100	0	0
Strawberry Shake	392	16	9	4.6	68	170	0	0
Yoghurt - Strawberry (M)	82	2	1	0.6	16	40	3	0
French Fries - Small	239	3	12	4.8	30	190	0	2
French Fries - Medium	374	4	19	7.6	47	290	0	4
French Fries - Large	441	5	22	8.9	55	350	0	5
Coca Cola - 16Oz	153	0	0	0.0	39	10	0	0
Coke Lite	1	0	0	0.0	0	40	0	0
Sprite - 16Oz	167	0	0	0.0	41	30	0	0
Orange Juice - 12Oz	157	0	0	0.0	38	3	0	0
Iced Milo - 16Oz	598	16	16	10.7	98	270	0	16
Iced Lemon Tea - 16Oz	142	0	0	0.0	35	10	0	0
Magnolia Lo-Fat Hi-Cal Milk	98	7	3	1.6	11	100	10	0
Cup Corn - 4.5Oz	90	3	2	0.5	16	240	0	0
Cup Corn - 3Oz	60	2	1	0.3	11	160	0	0
Apple Dippers	33	0	0	0.0	7	2	0	1
Jasmine Green Tea	95	0	0	0.0	24	20	0	0

The best choice of a dessert is "Apple Dippers" with absolutely no fat or cholesterol at all!  It is also lowest in salt and 2nd-lowest in calories and carbohydrates while providing a little fibre.

The best drink is probably "Orange Juice" which has no fat nor cholesterol, and has the lowest salt.  "Ice Lemon Tea" and "Jasmine Green Tea" are reasonable alternatives.

So, even if you are a health-freak or an obsessive healthy eater, you can still go to McDonald's once in a while.

BOOK SUMMARY:
POLITICS AND MORALITY
by Susan Mendus (2009)

Have you ever wondered what the role of morality in politics is?  Or have you fully embraced the modern tendency to view all things political with the utmost skepticism, cynicism even!  Some are even mildly amused that these 2 words are ever mentioned in the same breath.

Fear not.  Apparently, Professor Mendus had written just the book for you.  Susan Mendus is Professor of Political Philosophy and a member of the Morrell Centre for Toleration at the University of York.

In this book, she seeks to address the tension between the personal morality of politicians and the public duties that political office entails. She explores whether the popular perception of politicians being lacking in integrity hides the real picture of underlying moral goodness.

She first defines integrity as involving a willingness to stand by one's most fundamental moral commitments and showed how this could be applied to the political sphere.

She examines the 3 reasons why people think politics is incompatible with morality:
1.  Unlike morality, political judgement is based on utilitarian calculations.
2.  Politics and morality having separate, but equally ultimate realms of value is an unrecognized pluralistic fact.
3.  Politics involves the difficulty of reconciling the demands of different social roles.

Her conclusion is that the  moral difficulties in politics are by no means unique to politicians.  They are the same moral challenges that each one of us faces daily in this complex modern world.  So, not only the politicians, but all of us run the risk of losing our integrity.

To that extent, we are all politicians!

THE ROYAL SCAM by Steely Dan - the greatest music album ever

 

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker met in 1967 - 1968 while being students at Bard College and quickly discovered that they had common interests in music and literature.  Soon, they started collaborating on song-writing and were signed as staff songwriters in 1971 by Jay Lasker, president of ABC/Dunhill Records in Los Angeles on the recommendation of staff producer Gary Katz.  Meanwhile, they secretly rehearsed after-hours and fearlessly released their debut album, entitled "Can't Buy A Thrill" in 1972.  Steely Dan as a band was thus born, with Denny Dias (Guitar), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (guitar), Jim Hodder (drums) and David Palmer (vocals) as charter members.  They went on to record 6 more albums, "Countdown To Ecstasy" (1973), "Pretzel Logic" (1974), Katy Lied (1975), "The Royal Scam" (1976), "Aja" (1977) and "Gaucho" (1980). They then had a long 20-year hiatus until they surprisingly released a comeback album called "Two Against Nature" in 2000 which won 4 Grammy Awards including Album Of The Year in February 2001.  They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the following month and in May 2001 awarded honorary Doctor of Music degrees from The Berklee College of Music.  Their final album, "Everything Must Go" was released in June 2003.

Their music is unique in being complex jazz-influenced rock structures and harmonies nourished by cerebral, wry, eccentric and cryptic lyrics suffused with black humor, sharp sarcasm, and dark themes such as drugs, love affairs and crime.  In the recording studio, their efforts were marked by an obsessive perfectionism with the use of stellar session musicians, which helped them sell more than 30 million albums worldwide and maintain a cult following.

This album "The Royal Scam", released in 1976 is their masterpiece because it is their strongest work - musically, lyrically and conceptually.  It is also their edgiest, most guitar-driven record with songs having the darkest themes at their most pessimistic with a discomforting commentary of modern life, that in 1976, marked a prescience of at least 20 years.

The fitting album cover (above) shows a paradoxical picture of an apparently well-dressed man, more likely an unemployed man, sleeping on a public bench with holes in the soles of his shoes.  He is tormented in his nightmares by visions of warring skyscrapers with snarling reptilian and animal heads. This is representative of the uncompromising hostilities of the corporate world and the many dangers and unpleasantness of modern life.

Track 1 : "Kid Charlemagne" tells the story of an outlaw drug producer on the west coast, loosely based on the character of one Augustus Owsley Stanley, the notorious drug "chef" who created hallucinogenic compounds for, among others, Jim Morrison of The Doors, the Grateful Dead and the Beatles.  This is a funky number with a great guitar solo to die for.

Track 2: "The Caves of Altamira" tells of a childhood fantasy about the quieter origins of mankind, away from the hectic pace of modern life. "Caves" is dominated by a strong saxophone presence that is both smooth and soothing.

Track 3: "Don't Take Me Alive" is perhaps the strongest track musically and lyrically and my favorite track.  It's a tale about a criminal with the law hot on his heels.

Track 4:  "Sign In Stranger" describes the safe havens and the tricks of the trade of false identities to hide your criminal past, all told with much finesse with strong piano accompaniment.

Track 5: "The Fez" is a disco infected near-instrumental song.  Its sparse lyrics playfully appeal to the practice of safe sex because of a wish - "I wanna be your holy man".  I feel it is meant as irony decrying the need of sex to be safe!

Track 6: "Green Earrings" is another great guitar dominated track, about a jewel thief.

Track 7: "Haitian Divorce" is a reggae tune about marital woes.

Track 8: "Everything You Did" is an almost comical tale about the husband who is a victim of marital infidelity being inexplicably more keen on knowing the juicy details of his wife's betrayal than in saving his marriage.

Track 9: "The Royal Scam" is a fitting closing song which on the surface appear to be a story of empathy with exploited immigrants, but is really about promises that are just illusions in a new world.  Its monotonous yet effective rhythm is gloriously punctuated with rising climaxes of female vocals.

This is indeed a great album!

MORAL RELATIVISM

 

What is moral relativism?

Moral relativism is the philosophical theory that morality has no absolute or objective standards, but varies between individuals, communities and cultures and changes from time to time.  It is the notion that moral judgement is not based on universal moral truths, but rather that it is dependent on the social norms that we happen to have.  Different societies with different traditions, convictions, or practices will arrive at different moral conclusions.

What are the ramifications?

If moral relativism is correct, there will be at least 5 consequences:

(1)  No community can judge another in any meaningful way.  Attempting to do so will be interpreted as cultural arrogance.  The only viable option is to adopt an attitude of tolerance towards the cultural practices of others.  No one can afford to speak plainly or truthfully, so all references to differences are to be couched in euphemistic and politically-correct language to avoid causing offense.  Such a delicate and hair-trigger situation can be very fragile and can easily spark inter-communal riots with the slightest excuse. This is, in fact, the situation in many multicultural societies today.

(2)  No real understanding or interaction between cultures can take place.  As the cultural assumptions of one community cannot be questioned or examined by another, there is no opportunity for unfettered dialogue or mutual influence between societies.  Co-operation between them will be more difficult and conflicts will become more likely.

(3)  The rightness or wrongness of any action can only be determined by consulting the code of practice of that community in which the said action took place.  One cannot use his or her own mental and intellectual capacity to form moral judgements independently.

(4)  If a community was to intuitively judge another community's actions as cruel, unethical or harmful using the former's code of practice, it will have no justification for taking any action.  As a result, such cruel, unethical or harmful practices may continue unabated with the possibility of even more extreme acts committed in the future. 

(5)  No human moral progress will be possible. As all cultural practices and moral beliefs are considered to be equally valid, there will be no incentive to re-examine or improve upon one's own values. 


What are the classic objections to moral relativism?


(1)  It is illogical.  Moral relativism holds that "all beliefs are equally valid."  If one belief system holds itself to be the only valid one, that belief system's proclaimed exclusive validity must also be valid.  But, that would be contradictory!  If "all moral beliefs are relative", then that statement is itself relative, not absolute.  So, are moral beliefs relative or absolute??

(2)  It is subject to the problem of negation.  If everyone with differing opinions is right, no one would be wrong.  But, if it is impossible to be wrong, then 'being right' has no meaning.  All beliefs are then equally worthless!

(3)  If the truth of moral beliefs is determined by individual or group decision, then the distinction between truth and belief disappears.

A practical solution

If we disregard all theoretical considerations and philosophical reasoning, we can put forward this practical solution, which I'll call Daniel's Practical Disproof of Moral Relativism.

Suppose I put up 12 irrefutably universal moral statements that no sane human can dispute, would I have proven that moral relativism is both empty and wrong?  The statements are as follows:

(1)  We should do good and not do bad.
(2)  We should seek justice.
(3)  Truth is preferable to falsehood.
(4)  Kindness is to be desired.
(5)  Courtesy is to be encouraged.
(6)  We should care for our children.
(7)  We should respect our elders.
(8)  We should be generous towards others.
(9)  Stealing from others is wrong.
(10) Murder is wrong.
(11) We should keep our promises.
(12) We should help those in need.

Conclusion

If at least 12 statements (above) can have universal appeal to our common moral sense, it is quite possible that there are indeed absolute human moral values - values that make us human!