Tales from the metaphorical blackboard: A habitual practice of moral inquiry

That’s why it is essential to develop the ethical filters through which our intellect interprets events and produces decisions. Decisions that pass through these ethical filters will always represent our humanity, within our mental and spiritual bandwidth. 

The reason I call them filters instead of lenses is that filters imply a process of intellectual scrutiny, whereby we keep what aligns with our moral principles and discard any other information-like (epistemic fillers). This also helps minimize information overload, leading to more effective decision-making.

A good example of the need to develop our ethical filters is found in the current political climate in the US and the rest of the world. As we face a new wave of fascism, rooted in intolerance and hatred, all in the name of Christianity, the ethical filters a Christian individual utilizes, on the one hand, when reading the scriptures, will lead them to conclude that Jesus’ message was one of peace and harmony. On the other hand, another Christian will read the same scriptures and interpret them as a manual to commit the worst kind of atrocities against their fellow man, to use the religious language.

Aside from considerations of eternal rewards or punishments awaiting us upon our death, as a result of our behaviour in this physical realm, if our moral footprint reflects our hatred, future generations will judge our lack of spiritual courage. They will ask themselves, “What led previous generations to think and behave in such a hateful manner?”. The choice of the right moral footprint is ours!

How can one develop and fine-tune a set of moral principles to guide our thoughts and choices? There are many courses one can take to develop skills such as critical filters, just as there are many courses to develop a better understanding of morality through ethical practices. However, this can also seem overwhelming without the guidance of an expert who can coach through a method that simplifies and brings these two together to create your own personal moral and spiritual roadmap that will not only help you develop the right moral footprint for you, but it will also make you a great moral support for those around you who might not have gotten there yet.