Is Right and Wrong Always Black and White? | Juan Enriquez | TEDxBeaconStreet

Summary

In this thought-provoking talk, the speaker explores the complexities of ethics throughout history, using the example of slavery in Charleston, South Carolina. They question how society could have once accepted such atrocities and challenge the audience to consider current practices that might similarly shock future generations. Topics like end-of-life choices, cancer treatments, wealth inequality, animal rights, and environmental impact are discussed, prompting a reflection on our own ethical stances and the potential for societal change.

Takeaways

• 📜 The lecture challenges the simplistic view of ethics as black and white, suggesting that ethical dilemmas are often more complex.
• 🏛️ The history of a building in Charleston, South Carolina, is used as a metaphor for how societal norms can condone unethical practices like slavery.
• 📜 Historical texts, including holy books, were sometimes interpreted to support slavery, indicating that ethics can be influenced by cultural context.
• 👩‍🏫 The influence of various societal figures like mothers, teachers, preachers, and even university presidents, in shaping ethical beliefs is highlighted.
• 👨‍⚕️ The medical profession's past practices, such as experimenting on slaves without anesthesia, are critiqued to show the evolution of medical ethics.
• 🏦 The economic justification for slavery by some historical figures is discussed, raising questions about the intersection of ethics and economics.
• 🏛️ The lecture points out that societal acceptance of slavery was not universal, and there were individuals who resisted despite social pressure.
• 🌐 The speaker prompts the audience to reflect on current practices that might be seen as unethical by future generations, such as end-of-life decisions and medical treatments.
• 💸 The lecture raises the issue of wealth distribution and questions whether current economic disparities will be viewed as ethically acceptable in the future.
• 🐒 The treatment of animals, our closest genetic relatives, is examined, suggesting that our actions towards them may be reevaluated ethically in the future.
• 🚗 The environmental and safety impacts of automobiles, particularly in terms of pollution and traffic fatalities, are considered as potential ethical concerns for the future.
• ☢️ The normalization of nuclear weapons and the potential for their destructive power is critiqued, prompting a reevaluation of their ethical implications.
• 🗣️ The lecture concludes with a call for humility and open dialogue about ethics, acknowledging that everyone can make mistakes and that creating a safe space for discussion is crucial.

Q & A

What is the main subject of the lecture?

The main subject of the lecture is ethics, focusing on how it is not just a futuristic concept but also deeply rooted in the past and present, and how it is often more complex than simply being black-and-white.

Why does the speaker believe most ethics lectures are boring?

The speaker believes most ethics lectures are boring because they tend to present ethics as a clear-cut matter of right and wrong, which does not reflect the complex and nuanced issues that arise in real-world situations, particularly in fields like technology and life sciences.

What historical example does the speaker use to illustrate the complexity of ethics?

The speaker uses the historical example of a building in Charleston, South Carolina, which was once a slave market, to illustrate the complexity of ethics. This example shows how something as morally reprehensible as slavery was once widely accepted and even flaunted.

How does the speaker suggest we learn ethics?

The speaker suggests that we learn ethics from various sources including holy books, parents, preachers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and the government.

What role did religious texts play in the speaker's discussion of ethics?

Religious texts are mentioned as one of the sources that taught people ethics, but the speaker points out the irony that some passages from these texts, like Ephesians 6:5, actually supported slavery, showing how ethics can be influenced and even distorted by such teachings.

How does the speaker connect the past acceptance of slavery to current ethical dilemmas?

The speaker connects the past acceptance of slavery to current ethical dilemmas by asking the audience to reflect on whether we are doing things today that future generations might find as morally outrageous as we find slavery.

What current medical practice does the speaker question as potentially barbaric to future generations?

The speaker questions current cancer treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy, as potentially barbaric practices that future generations might look back on with disbelief, similar to how we view historical medical practices like bloodletting.

What statistic does the speaker provide about end-of-life choices in the United States?

The speaker provides the statistic that only 1 out of 10 US states allows individuals to choose the time of their death, highlighting a current ethical debate around end-of-life autonomy.

How does the speaker feel about the current state of ethical discussions on campuses?

The speaker expresses concern about the difficulty of having ethical discussions on campuses, noting that it has become very challenging to express any view that might be considered incorrect or offensive.

What does the speaker advocate for in terms of creating a space for ethical discussions?

The speaker advocates for creating a safer space for ethical discussions where people can make mistakes and hold unpopular positions without fear of being 'crucified', allowing for a more balanced and humble approach to ethical debates.

What is the speaker's final message regarding the complexity of ethics and our understanding of it?

The speaker's final message is a call for humility and balance in our approach to ethics, recognizing that our current understanding may not be perfect and that we should be open to questioning and discussing ethical issues without excessive judgment.

Outlines

00:00

📜 The Complexity of Ethics in History

The speaker begins by expressing a desire to discuss ethics, a subject that encompasses the past, present, and future. They critique the typical approach to ethics lectures, which often oversimplify moral issues into a binary right and wrong. Instead, the speaker advocates for a nuanced understanding of ethics by examining history. Using the example of a building in Charleston, South Carolina, once a site for the selling of slaves, the speaker questions how society could have countenanced such actions. They explore various sources of ethical teaching, including religious texts, family, education, and societal leaders, all of which, in the historical context provided, supported or failed to challenge the institution of slavery. The speaker uses specific examples, such as biblical passages, literature of the time, and the actions of prominent figures like university presidents and doctors, to illustrate how ethics can be influenced and shaped by the prevailing social norms and beliefs.

05:01

🌏 The Ethical Dilemmas of Modern Society

In the second paragraph, the speaker extends the discussion of ethics to contemporary issues, questioning whether we are any 'smarter' now than in the past. They challenge the audience to consider current practices that might seem ethically questionable in the future, such as how we approach end-of-life decisions, with only a fraction of U.S. states allowing death with dignity. The speaker also addresses the suffering of the elderly and the discomforting reality that many doctors would not want the aggressive treatments they administer to their patients to be used on themselves. They touch on the harshness of current cancer treatments and suggest that future generations might view them as barbaric. The speaker also raises concerns about wealth inequality, the treatment of animals, and the dangers of automobile pollution and nuclear weapons, suggesting that these are areas where our ethics are currently being tested and may be viewed differently in the future.

10:01

🗣️ Navigating the Grey Areas of Ethics

The final paragraph emphasizes the complexity and subjectivity of ethical judgments. The speaker warns against self-righteousness and the danger of being too critical of past actions without acknowledging the ethical challenges of the present. They call for humility and balance in our ethical considerations, recognizing that what is considered ethical can change over time. The speaker expresses concern over the current climate, particularly on college campuses, where there is a heightened sensitivity to language that could lead to ostracism or punishment for perceived ethical missteps. They advocate for creating a 'safe space' for ethical discussions, where people can make mistakes and engage in unpopular opinions without fear of severe repercussions. The speaker concludes by encouraging a dialogue that balances outrage at past and present injustices with an understanding of human fallibility.

Keywords

💡Ethics

Ethics refers to the moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior. In the video, ethics is a central theme as it discusses how ethical standards have evolved over time and how they can be influenced by societal norms and institutions. The speaker uses the example of historical ethics related to slavery to illustrate how what was once considered ethical by society can be seen as morally reprehensible in retrospect.

💡Slavery

Slavery is a system in which individuals are treated as property and are forced to work against their will. The video script uses the historical context of slavery in the United States to discuss the ethical failings of past societies. It points out that despite the clear moral wrong of slavery, it was once an accepted and even legally supported practice, highlighting the complexities of ethical judgment.

💡Right and Wrong

The concepts of 'right' and 'wrong' are fundamental to ethical discussions. The video challenges the simplistic view that ethics is a matter of clear-cut rules by exploring historical examples where what was considered 'right' was later recognized as 'wrong.' It encourages viewers to question the ethical teachings of their time and to consider the possibility of future perspectives judging current practices.

💡Historical Context

Historical context is the backdrop of time and events within which actions and decisions are made. The video emphasizes the importance of understanding historical context when evaluating ethical decisions. It uses the example of a building in Charleston, South Carolina, which was once a slave market, to show how ethical norms can be products of their time and can change as society evolves.

💡Authority Figures

Authority figures, such as parents, teachers, preachers, and government officials, are individuals who hold positions of power and influence. The video discusses how these figures can shape societal ethics by teaching and enforcing moral values. It points out that even authority figures can be wrong, as seen in historical examples where they supported or condoned slavery.

💡Social Norms

Social norms are the unwritten rules that govern behavior within a society. The video explores how social norms can influence ethical judgments and can sometimes lead to the acceptance of unethical practices. It uses the example of the widespread acceptance of slavery in the past to illustrate how social norms can perpetuate ethically questionable actions.

💡Moral Ambiguity

Moral ambiguity refers to situations where ethical principles are not clear-cut and can be open to interpretation. The video discusses moral ambiguity by pointing out that ethical decisions are not always black and white. It encourages viewers to consider the gray areas of ethics and to think critically about the ethical teachings they receive from various sources.

💡Medical Ethics

Medical ethics involves the ethical principles that guide medical practice and decision-making. The video touches on medical ethics by discussing current practices such as end-of-life care and cancer treatment, suggesting that future generations might view these practices as barbaric, just as we view historical medical practices with disapproval.

💡Economic Inequality

Economic inequality refers to the unequal distribution of resources and wealth within a society. The video raises the issue of economic inequality by pointing out that a small percentage of the world's population owns a large portion of its wealth. It questions the ethics of such disparity and whether future generations will view it as acceptable.

💡Animal Rights

Animal rights is the concept that non-human animals are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as humans. The video discusses the ethical treatment of animals, suggesting that current practices such as animal experimentation and consumption might be seen as unethical by future generations, given the genetic similarity between humans and other animals.

💡Autonomous Cars

Autonomous cars, or self-driving cars, are vehicles that can navigate without human input. The video mentions autonomous cars as an example of how future technologies might lead to a reevaluation of current practices, such as single-occupancy SUV commutes, which could be seen as unethical due to their environmental impact.

💡Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are weapons that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions. The video discusses the ethical implications of nuclear weapons, questioning the morality of possessing and potentially using such destructive power. It suggests that future generations might view the acceptance of nuclear weapons as a grave ethical failure.

Highlights

Ethics is a subject that encompasses past, present, and future, and is not just about black-and-white distinctions.

The history of ethics is explored through the example of a building in Charleston, South Carolina, which was once a slave market.

Old postcards from the building reveal a past where the selling of human beings was openly advertised.

The question of how society allowed slavery is raised, prompting a reflection on where ethics are learned.

Various sources of ethics education, including holy books, family, teachers, preachers, and government, are mentioned.

Biblical passages that seemingly condone slavery are cited as an example of conflicting ethical teachings.

The role of family in reinforcing societal norms, including those supporting slavery, is discussed.

The influence of education and religious institutions in perpetuating ethically questionable practices is highlighted.

The transformation of an abolitionist's views after moving to a pro-slavery environment is noted.

The founder of gynecology, Dr. J. Marion Sims, is criticized for his unethical practices on slaves.

The Constitution's stance on human rights is contrasted with societal practices of the time.

Historical figures, including presidents, are scrutinized for their views on race and equality.

The speaker challenges the audience to consider whether current ethical practices might be questioned by future generations.

The topic of how we end life is introduced, questioning the ethics of current end-of-life practices.

The speaker suggests that current cancer treatments may be seen as barbaric by future generations.

The issue of wealth inequality is raised, questioning the ethics of a small percentage of people owning a large portion of the world's wealth.

The treatment of animals, our closest genetic relatives, is critiqued in terms of ethics.

The speaker points out the high number of automobile-related deaths compared to war deaths, suggesting a potential ethical blind spot.

The normalization of nuclear weapons and the potential for their destructive power is discussed as an ethical concern.

The speaker calls for humility and balance when considering ethical issues, both past and present.

The importance of creating a safe space for ethical discussions and the acceptance of fallibility is emphasized.

Transcripts

Translator: Amanda Chu Reviewer: Peter van de Ven

I think what I'd like to do today

is to talk about a subject which isn't futurist.

It's past and present and future,

and that's ethics.

And most ethics lectures are incredibly boring

because most ethics lectures basically tell you

there's a right way of doing things and there's a wrong way of doing things

and things are black-and-white.

And that's not where ethics is interesting.

And that's not the kinds of things that we're wrestling with every day

in technology and life sciences and some of the other questions.

And to do that, you really have to look at history.

So if you look at history and you look at this wonderful building,

which is in Charleston, South Carolina,

it's a wonderful building,

but there's also a history of this building

because this is what they used to sell on the steps of this building.

[To be sold, a cargo of NEGROES.]

And they didn't hide this.

So, this is one of the old postcards,

and the title to this whole postcard on the bottom is "The old slave market."

So they used to send postcards to their friends,

saying this is where we sold human beings.

And we look at this today and we say, "How in the world did we allow this?

Did we permit it?

Didn't we question it?

Didn't we realize right from wrong?

And how is that feasible?

Why didn't people understand right from wrong?"

When you ask that question,

then you've got to ask yourself, Where do you learn ethics?

So I guess you learn ethics from the holy book,

you can learn it from mama,

you can learn it from the preacher,

you can learn it from the teacher,

you can learn it from a lawyer,

you can learn it from the doctor,

you can learn it from the government,

and a host of other people.

So if those are the people who are teaching you right from wrong,

what were they teaching?

How was it possible

that they were selling human beings on the steps of that building?

Well, let's start with the holy book.

Here's a couple of passages from one of the holy books.

[Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling - Ephesians 6:5]

Aren't those a little sobering?

[Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters

and to give satisfaction in every respect]

And then how about Mama?

Well, some mamas were telling their kids this was okay;

in fact, they were writing the book that countered Uncle Tom's Cabin.

[The Black Gauntlet]

And this is one of the passages from that book.

[God has placed a mark on the negro, as distinctive as that on Cain ... ]

So at home, kids were learning stuff that reinforced that behavior.

How about the teacher?

How about the preacher?

So this was what happened when you went to schools on Sunday,

and this was what they were preaching.

And by the way, you can, even today,

go back to South Carolina, to Furman Chapel

on Furman University,

where he preached.

How about the university president?

Well surely, this man looks smarter

because this was an oxford-educated chemist

who came to the US as an abolitionist,

but once he got into this environment,

this abolitionist, all of a sudden,

started writing pamphlets that look like this.

[Outlined his belief that slave labor was an economic necessity

and that the white race was superior.]

So he was taught as an adult

that abolition was the wrong thing in this environment.

The university library named after him in 1976.

How about the doctor?

[Doctor J. Marion Sims, Founder of Gynecology]

This is one of the founders of gynecology,

one of the greatest doctors practicing in the United States.

[No need for surgical anesthesia for blacks or Irish …]

White women needed anesthesia;

others didn't.

He also experimented on slaves.

If you'd like to see his statue, you can go see it in South Carolina.

But oh, by the way,

the next time you walk through or jog through Central Park,

his statue's there as well.

This is not just a southern phenomenon.

Constitution was pretty clear

on what a human being is and what rights a human being has.

The Washington Bar didn't quite understand that.

How about the presidents?

After Madison left the presidency,

he went on to become head of a league to try and send all Africans back home.

[American Colonization Society To Repatriate blacks]

Garfield wasn't particularly pleasant.

[I have a strong feeling of repugnance ... the negro being made our ... equal.]

And even Truman had some pretty strong opinions on the subject.

[I'm strongly of the opinion

Negroes ought to be in Africa, yellow men in Asia.]

So as you're looking at the general environment,

this does not justify, allow, permit slavery

in any way, shape, or form.

But if you were a kid

and you went to school or church or university,

or to see your doctor or to see anybody else,

how in the world did you learn right from wrong?

How did some people realize

and risk jail and risk ostracism and risk torture to stand up to a society

where everybody, almost everybody, was telling you this is okay?

Because after all, we named a city after a slave owner.

That leads to a question: How much smarter are we now?

I mean, now it's so clear in retrospect - okay, there's just no question -

but are we smarter on all these subjects today,

or are we too doing things that might outrage your kids?

And if so, what kinds of things might we be doing today

that would lead our kids to be outraged?

One topic might be how we end life.

You are only allowed to choose the time that you die

in 1 out of 10 US states.

And why is that an important topic?

Well, because about 1/3 of the elderly

suffer unnecessary pain in the last 24 hours,

2/3 suffer pain in the last month,

and patients typically spend eight days on a ventilator.

And how about the people who teach us about these things

or the people who know about such things?

Well, it turns out that about 88% of doctors

do not want the procedures they perform on their patients

done on themselves,

and they put in very explicit orders:

if I get to this stage, do not do it to me -

in 90% of doctors.

We wouldn't dare treat our dogs the way we treat some of our elderly.

Let's just prolong your pain a little longer.

Cancer.

We think current cancer treatments are reasonable, are okay;

our kids, our great-grandkids, hopefully are going to look at us and say,

"Hey, just explain this again to me, grandpa.

So when somebody got cancer,

what you used to do with them

is first you'd put radiation into their bodies,

then you'd hack off some of their body parts,

and then you'd poison them with chemo.

And why didn't you just use leeches?"

We are going to seem so savage in our medical treatments to our grandkids

just in the same way

as we think people who bled people or used leeches or used mercury

are savage.

How about 1% owning 48% of the dollars in the world?

Is that really reasonable

to have the equivalent of two Titanic lifeboats - 80 people -

own more than 50% of the world?

Is that something our grandkids are going say? -

"Hey, that was just fine. No need to worry about that one"?

Or how about the way we treat our closest cousins,

creatures that share 99.6% of our DNA?

Because in some places, we're still eating those creatures,

and in many places, we're still experimenting on them.

We keep them as pets, we keep them in the zoos,

and we perform medical experiments on them

that many people would say,

"You shouldn't have treated any human being that way."

Automobiles is a non-obvious one,

because there aren't that many options for automobiles today,

but there will be soon.

And when you compare automobile deaths from traffic accidents

to military conflicts,

it turns out that we had about 127 deaths in the United States in 2012

and about 33,561 deaths form automobiles.

Globally, it looks like that.

So the ratio of cars to wars in terms of deaths in the US

is about 260 to one.

When you get autonomous cars,

when cars are not emitting 1/3 of all pollutants in CO2,

our grandkids may look at us and say,

"What were you thinking

in those big SUV commutes with a single person?"

And lastly, perhaps nukes.

We take nukes for granted.

But believe me - one nuke can really ruin your whole day.

(Laughter)

And we somehow think it's okay for groups of people to have enough power

to destroy this entire world and to go out and wipe out civilizations.

So before we get too arrogant about what people were doing

and how people were acting and what they did or didn't do -

which is not to denigrate the heroism of those who oppose a system -

we also have to think through

we may be living in a system where ethics isn't black-and-white always,

sometimes it's a little gray,

and we can have a gut feeling in our hearts that this is just wrong

and a lot of people around you can be telling you this is right.

Now you've got to figure out what you're going to do with those things.

How you're going to pose those things

when Mama and the teacher and the preacher and the school

and the government and the laws and the media

are telling you that's okay?

Or it's not something you really need to fight or discuss?

And as you do this,

there's a certain amount of just fury at what people did in the past,

and there should be some just fury of what people are doing in the present.

Well, that should also be tempered

with a little bit of humility and a little bit of balance.

And what scares me today, and the reason why I gave this talk,

is because it's getting so damn hard on a campus

to utter the wrong single word or sentence.

And it's so hard when you talk to somebody of a different religion

and it's so hard when you talk to somebody of a different politics,

to find a middle ground

where in addition to your own outrage, there's a little bit of humility -

people make mistakes on ethics,

people make mistakes on words,

people make mistakes when they talk,

they sometimes make mistakes when they act.

And we need to create a little bit of a safer space

to understand that we, too, can be fallible,

as we rail against the past

and all the mistakes that all the people in the past made,

which doesn't justify them.

I'm not standing here and saying it was okay to do this stuff.

I don't want to not celebrate the heroes who stood up against this stuff,

but I do want to create a safe space

on campuses and in politics and in business and in our daily lives

so that people who make mistakes aren't crucified,

so people who take positions that are unpopular can take them

and we can listen.

Thank you.

(Applause)