Razis D V
Hygia Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Qual Assur Health Care. 1990;2(3-4):369-73. doi: 10.1093/intqhc/2.3-4.369.
Ethics is one of the forces shaping the life of human societies and the ethical system contributes to the group's survival and to keep peace and order to satisfy social needs. The definitions of ethics, of what is good and what makes an action right or wrong, varies widely at different times and at different places. However, some basic moral elements are acceptable to most advanced societies. Furthermore, many modern scholastic writers defend the absolute universality of at least some ethical laws. The limitations of universality survives in war, in race discrimination, etc. In modern times, it might be appropriate to search for principles for the universality of morality in ecological considerations. Progress in ethics is lagging far behind and we must understand now, when the complete annihilation of human species is a real possibility, that ethics and philosophy are at least as important as science.
伦理道德是塑造人类社会生活的力量之一，伦理体系有助于群体的生存，并维护和平与秩序以满足社会需求。对于什么是伦理道德，什么是善，什么使行为正确或错误，在不同的时间和地点有着广泛的定义差异。然而，一些基本的道德要素为大多数先进社会所接受。此外，许多现代学术作家捍卫至少某些伦理法则的绝对普遍性。普遍性的局限性在战争、种族歧视等情况中依然存在。在现代，从生态考量中探寻道德普遍性的原则或许是恰当的。伦理道德的进步远远滞后，而我们现在必须明白，当人类物种面临彻底灭绝的切实可能性时，伦理道德和哲学至少与科学同等重要。
