How The West Lost Its Moral Compass and Went to Hell in a Handbasket

Morality and ethics are the invisible pillars that hold up all civilizations. When they fall, so does the particular civilization.

Me looking out at the world between San Diego and LA. Own picture.

Most people have little idea of how ethics evolved, or what they are. Ethics aren’t a personal code to live by. Ethics are not those actions or sins that get you into heaven or hell. Ethics are common sense rules that evolved in societies to ensure the safety of that society.

So, for instance, killing was forbidden, because if people went around killing each other, very soon, people would fear for their lives, more violence would erupt, and soon there would be no safe environment to conduct the ordinary business of life — work, play, eat, drink, reproduce, and enjoy friends.

In modern life, we can look back on some very strange morality or ethics. For instance, eating pork is forbidden in many religions. Why would that be? Probably because pork carried tape worm eggs, and people would die of that. Why would it be necessary for a man to protect a woman? Probably because women were physically weaker than men, so men were always protective of them. It’s why the old adage used to be to let women and children go first when the ship was about to sink.