Many Religions - One Set of Ethics?
Østnor, Lars (ed.): Mange religioner - én etikk?How can we take our own ethics seriously whilst, at the same time, engaging in an exchange of ideas and cooperation with those having other points of view? Is there such a thing as "a common set of ethics" relevant to all the religions of the world? Or will such ethics emerge in the future? What can research in the humanities and the social sciences tell us about the existing pluralistic communities with their mix of different ethics, a prevalent feature of our world today? How is the relationship between ethics and religious beliefs to be interpreted? What are the possibilities for the development of a universal ethic?
Increased internationalisation has created a new environment in which to conduct ethical debate. Until now, ethical questions have as a rule been dealt with within the framework of a particular tradition of philosophy, religion or outlook on life. Only occasionally have experts dared to look outside the boundaries of their own circles and attempted to compare their own perspectives with those of other cultures. This book is just such an attempt at taking up an inter-religious perspective.
This subject is investigated from various angles and from within different academic fields, such as social anthropology, philosophy, theology, the history of religion and of ideas. Different contributors have met the challenge to present an extension of existing horizons in a way that meets the criteria of being professionally relevant while at the same time applying accepted methodology.
Furthermore, the authors reflect on common ethical problems without linking these to a particular culture. In political forums for international cooperation there is a continuous challenge of reaching a consensus across ethics rooted in given religions or world views. Is this not also an everyday occurrence at a national level? The authors argue that it is only by adopting an inter-religious stance, both nationally and globally, that we can relate to the cultural realities of today.
First published: 1995, Universitetsforlaget
Lars Østnor: Biography and bibliography
