The Content of our Character
By Dan Murdock, OBA General Counsel

Today is a time when those seeking political office speak of “family values,” parents counsel their children about “making good choices” and it is often said that we should “do the right thing.” These issues are not of recent vintage. The ancient Greeks are always the first to be mentioned whenever philosophical theory is discussed. All have heard of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Socrates is well known in the legal arena because of his method of teaching, the Socratic method, that is now and has been for many years prevalent in law schools throughout the United States. Plato, a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, is thought to be one of the most influential philosophers on Western thought. These philosophers can be viewed as the early pioneers of the Western philosophical tradition.

It is not necessary that we study the philosophy of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle or all the others to consider and understand the ethical issues that are faced today. Nor are these issues confined to geographical areas, although usually the issues most thought about are those issues that most closely affect our personal lives. It is important, however, to understand some basic definitions of the words that are discussed.

Although “ethical” and “unethical” are words used in statements made by many, there needs to be an understanding of these terms. There can be sports ethics, political ethics, medical ethics and many other subdivisions. Generally, ethics is defined as a major branch of philosophy that encompasses right conduct and good living. Many think that it is an analysis of right and wrong, but it is said that it is significantly broader in scope. The Josephson Institute of Ethics, an organization that administers “Character Counts!,” provides great guidance in the ethical arena. Michael Josephson, the founder, says that ethics refers to principles that define behavior as right, good and proper. He says that ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave. That statement causes us to consider an idea about what is moral, morals in general and morality. Moral is defined as of, pertaining to or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. We often use the words virtue, character and values. Many times the definition is, like beauty, in this instance, in the mind of the user.

The importance of all of this is not that we understand the words of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and the others or that we can discuss the implications of moral philosophy at dinner, but that we know about appropriate and proper conduct, that we try to “make good choices, and try to “do the right thing.” Just remember, it is not the thoughts but the acts that are important.

Originally published in the Oklahoma Bar Journal November 3, 2007 - Vol. 78; No. 30.