Chapter I "De Qué Va La Ética"

What about Ethics?
It can be said that it is the field in which the human being spends his time thinking about what is actually relevant for him in order to achieve a "good" life...
But now the question is, what is a "good" life? Well, let me tell you that this huge question hasn't got just one single answer... Why? Simply because we are all different... and, since we have different views on what is good or bad for us, we will have, as a consequence, many different views on what is a "good" life...
There are two main concepts that will help us to understand this issue better: Freedom and Choice (which are, by the way, very connected concepts since in order to be able to make any Choice we will need to have the Freedom to do it).
In his book, as usual, Savater gives us a very clear example to understand the relation between this words and our "good" lives. He makes a connection between our decisions and that ones made by animals: the idea is that animals are naturally programmed to behave in a certain way; but what about we, human beings? Are we programmed by someone? or Are we free to make our own choices?
Let's think about us in our daily lives. When we are asked to do something, don't we have the opportunity of refusing to do it? Yes! Of course we can say No (no matter whether we will have to face any consequence after saying no, the fact is that we are free to choose).
Furthermore, there is one more thing to say here; we don't have to forget that we are not (always) able to choose what is going to happen to us but, on the other hand, we can choose how to react to it...
To sum up, let me tell you that I really now that all this issue of having the responsibility of being the ones who can change our own lives is not an easy task at all... but, after all, everything is in our hands...THE DECISION IS OURS... Which is going to be your next choice?...

A Comment on the Prologue of "Ética para Amador" by Fernando Savater.

From the very beginning, Savater explains to us that his book was not written to be used as a class book. He points out that it has been written for his son since he needed to find a way of talking to him but without saying a word. Savater believes that telling something directly to a teenager is not the same as writing it on a sheet of paper simply because if the boy does not want to hear him, he will be wasting his time since the boy will not listen to him. However, if he writes it, he can be sure that one day his son will read it. Maybe not today or now, but he knows that at some moment he will read it.

Taking all this into account we can say that Savater’s idea was to give his son something that will last forever: his values and feelings. The value of learning to trust and believe in yourself and the importance of being able to love and be loved.

The most important thing to remember in this very first part of Savater's book is that he is trying to show us that what matters is not something physical or material but all those feelings, toughts, ideas and values which are going to last forever, no matter who is thinking, saying, reading or listening to them now; ideas are beyond what human beings can possibly grasp. And it is in this field where Ethics take place...

Welcome!

I just want to give you a warm welcome to my blog! I hope you enjoy reading it as well as I enjoy writing it.
This blog has to do with Ethics and with what we are dealing with in our course (Ethics - Teachers' Training College, Liceo Cultural Británico). The idea is to let everyone know what the texts that I read mean to me.
I'll be entirely pleased if you happen to make any comment or suggestion about my posts! It would be great to start exchanging ideas, beliefs and thoughts with you...
Let's find out what comes out of this intriguing experience!
Hugs!
Alezavrill