A HOLISTIC MODEL OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR BASED UPON A METAPERSPECTIVAL HIERARCHY OF THE TRADITIONAL GROUPINGS OF VIRTUES, VALUES, AND IDEALS

摘要

A new model of motivational behavior, described as a ten-level, meta-hierarchy of the major groupings of virtues, values, and ideals, serves as the foundation for a new holistic theory of ethics and morality. This theory arises as a direct outcome of the Systems Theory concept of the metaperspective (a higher-order perspective upon the viewpoint held by another). The traditional groupings of ethical terms are collectively arrayed as subsets within such a hierarchy of metaperspectives, each more abstract listing building in a direct fashion upon that which it supersedes. Take, for example, the cardinal virtues (prudence-justice-temperance-fortitude), the theological virtues (faith-hope-charity-decency), and the classical Greek values (beauty-truth-goodness-wisdom). Each of these groupings is further split into a complex of four subordinate terms, allowing for precise, point-for-point stacking within the ethical hierarchy. When additional groupings of ethical terms are further added into the mix: namely, the personal ideals (glory-honor-dignity-integrity), the civil liberties (providence-liberty-civility-austerity), the humanistic values (peace-love-tranquility-equality), amongst others; the complete ten level hierarchy of metaperspectives emerges in full detail. From a holistic standpoint, this cohesive ethical hierarchy mirrors the stepwise specialization of personal, group, spiritual, humanitarian, and transcendental realms within the human social structure (that when further specialized into both authority and follower roles, accounts for the full ten-level hierarchy of ethical terms). Furthermore, it ultimately proves possible to base this ethical hierarchy entirely within a behavioral foundation; namely, the terminology of operant conditioning proposed by behavioral psychologist, B. F. Skinner. Through such a purely behavioral style of motivational analysis, the higher virtues and values can alternately be viewed as more advanced metaperspectives on the more basic complement of instinctual states (i.e., reward-punishment-appetite-aversion). Indeed, the characteristic four-part organization of the virtues, values, and ideals is fully explainable in terms of such a behavioral tie-in with operant conditioning.