Ethos and Morality in Our Choices: A Perspective on Living Virtuously in Society
As members of a global society, navigating the complexities of living virtuously and morally is a challenge many in my Sangha often ask about.
The question posed is simple yet profound: how can we, as Buddhists and as human beings, live by our values in a world shaped by forces such as capitalism, imperialism, plutocracy, and exploitation?
This is not merely an intellectual inquiry but a deeply practical one that intersects with our daily choices, our collective responsibilities, and our aspirations for a better world.
In pursuing virtue and morality, we must ask ourselves how far our reach can extend. Can we uphold our values while dismantling the harmful structures perpetuating inequality, exclusion, and suffering? Can we contribute to a society that prioritizes inclusion, diversity, and the redistribution of wealth, along with access to housing, healthcare, quality education, and essential utilities?
This post explores these pressing questions through the lens of Buddhist ethics and broader moral imperatives.
Living by Virtue and Moral Values
Buddhism teaches us to live by the principles of compassion, wisdom, and ethical conduct.
The Eightfold Path — Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration — offers a framework for navigating the moral dilemmas of modern life. These teachings encourage us to act in ways that reduce suffering and promote well-being for all sentient beings.
Living by virtue requires us to examine our choices critically.
Are we supporting systems that harm others, or are we actively working to create a more equitable and compassionate society? Our consumption habits, political actions, and interactions with others all carry ethical weight. The challenge lies in aligning our actions with our values, even when it means confronting uncomfortable truths about the world we live in.
Avoiding Hypocrisy: Lessons from (Some) Christians
A critical examination of morality in society cannot ignore the hypocrisy often observed in certain religious communities.
Some Christians, for example, publicly advocate for moral values while accumulating wealth, promoting exclusion, and endorsing hate or war. This contradiction between professed values and actions serves as a cautionary tale for all of us, including Buddhists.
However, this hypocrisy extends far beyond individual failings. We are witnessing a dangerous global trend: the resurgence of right-wing extremism, cloaked in the language of Christian morality. From Russia to certain European countries and the United States, the rhetoric of “family values”, “law and order”, and “national pride” has been weaponized to justify authoritarian policies, social exclusion, and systemic discrimination.
This new fascism presents itself as a crusade for Christian principles, yet its true agenda is power, control, and the suppression of diversity. The so-called defenders of “family” and “country” promote homogeneity while silencing dissent and marginalizing those who do not conform to their narrow vision of society. They speak of morality while ignoring the suffering their policies inflict on the poor, the marginalized, and the environment.
In Russia, state-sponsored Orthodoxy is used to bolster imperialist ambitions and suppress LGBTQ+ communities. In parts of Europe, far-right parties gain traction by appealing to Christian identity while advocating for anti-immigration policies and undermining democratic institutions. In the United States, evangelical movements have aligned themselves with political figures who exploit fear and division, promoting policies that exacerbate inequality while claiming to uphold “Christian values”.
This hypocrisy is not merely an ethical failing; it is a deliberate strategy to mask authoritarianism as moral leadership.
As Buddhists, we must be vigilant against these distortions of morality. True virtue cannot coexist with exclusion, oppression, and greed. Our challenge is to expose this hypocrisy and advocate for a morality rooted in compassion, inclusivity, and justice.
A Laic Approach to Morality and Values
Morality need not rely on religious foundations.
A laic approach to ethics recognizes that principles such as fairness, justice, and compassion arise from our shared humanity and the social bonds that connect us. This perspective is not anti-religious but independent of religious doctrine, making it inclusive and universally applicable.
A laic moral framework begins with the recognition of human dignity and the interdependence of all beings. It emphasizes rational inquiry, empathy, and the pursuit of collective well-being. For example, the principle of justice can be understood as ensuring equitable treatment and opportunities for all, regardless of faith, ethnicity, or social status. Compassion, similarly, becomes a universal imperative to alleviate suffering and support others.
This approach aligns seamlessly with Buddhist ethics, which also emphasizes the importance of interconnection and the reduction of suffering. However, it extends beyond religious boundaries, offering a foundation for collaboration among diverse communities.
A laic morality does not demand adherence to specific beliefs but calls for actions that promote the common good.
Consider issues such as poverty, healthcare, and environmental degradation. Addressing these challenges does not require divine commandments but a commitment to shared values: fairness, responsibility, and sustainability. Policies that ensure access to education, redistribute resources, and protect the planet are not just pragmatic; they are moral imperatives that resonate with both secular and spiritual traditions.
By embracing a laic approach, we can build a moral consensus that transcends religious and cultural divides. This consensus can serve as a powerful counterweight to extremism’s divisive rhetoric and capitalism’s exploitative practices. It empowers individuals and communities to take ethical action based on reason, empathy, and a shared vision of a just and compassionate world.
The Nasty, Nefarious Association Between Conservatives and the Wealthiest
The post-New Deal era witnessed the rise of a new form of fascism, characterized by an unholy alliance between conservative ideologies and the wealthiest members of society.
This partnership has worked to dismantle the social safety nets established during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, prioritizing corporate profits over human welfare.
These filthy alliances thrive on exploitation and greed. The wealthiest individuals hoard resources while millions languish in poverty. They fund political campaigns to erode regulations, deny workers their rights, and suppress dissent. Their insatiable appetite for wealth and power has created a system where the rich get richer, and everyone else is left struggling to survive. This grotesque concentration of wealth and influence is the antithesis of any moral or ethical society.
The Case for High Tax Rates on the Wealthiest
There is a bold and urgent call to action: tax the wealthiest at unprecedented levels to reclaim resources stolen from society.
During the mid-20th century, the United States achieved significant economic growth and social progress under tax rates for the richest that exceeded 90%. These taxes funded public infrastructure, education, and social programs that benefited everyone.
We must return to these principles, improving them and going even heavier against the richest individuals and corporations.
The richest individuals — whose fortunes often stem from exploitation, environmental destruction, and systemic inequality — must be held accountable. Extreme wealth is not a marker of success but a sign of systemic failure. Every untaxed billionaire represents schools not built, healthcare denied, and lives lost.
Taxing the rich is not an act of class warfare; it is an ethical necessity to ensure the survival and dignity of society.
Cutting the Head of Social Media Control
Social media platforms, controlled by right-wing extremists and billionaires, have become powerful tools for spreading misinformation, sowing division, and perpetuating harmful ideologies.
These platforms serve as echo chambers of hate, fostering conspiracy theories while silencing voices of reason and dissent. The very infrastructure of social media is built to prioritize profit over truth, and engagement over ethics.
We must sever our dependence on these platforms.
Disengaging from corporately controlled social media is an act of resistance against the billionaire class that exploits our data and attention. Instead, we should support alternative, community-driven platforms that prioritize empathy, reliability of verifiable sources, inclusivity, and collective well-being. This shift is essential for reclaiming our agency and dismantling the monopolistic grip of tech giants.
A Guide to Bringing the Right Values Back
- Expose the Filth: Unmask the greed and exploitation of the wealthiest individuals and corporations. Shine a light on their harmful practices and demand accountability.
- Demand Redistribution: Advocate for progressive tax policies that prioritize the needs of the many over the desires of the few. Push for wealth redistribution to fund universal housing, education, and healthcare.
- Support Ethical Movements: Align yourself with organizations and movements that challenge capitalist exploitation and promote social justice.
- Boycott Greed: Avoid supporting companies and platforms that exploit workers, harm the environment, or perpetuate inequality.
- Educate and Organize: Empower yourself and others with knowledge about the structural causes of inequality. Build coalitions to demand systemic change.
- Embody Compassion: Practice kindness and empathy in your daily life. Use these principles to challenge oppression and support those in need.
Conclusion
Living virtuously in a world dominated by capitalism and greed requires more than passive adherence to values; it demands active resistance.
As Buddhists and as members of humanity, we must rise to the challenge of dismantling systems that perpetuate suffering. By confronting the exploitation and greed of the wealthiest, advocating for justice, and embodying compassion in our actions, we can create a society that reflects the ideals of fairness, equity, and shared prosperity. It is not enough to simply live by our values — we must wield them as tools to build a better world.
