By Nik Liyana
Edited by Syafiqah Suhaimi
Ethics is the study of morality, of what is considered wrong and right. In Islam, it is believed that humans are born good but get corrupted by secularism, greed, and ignorance. In contrast, the western philosopher Thomas Hobbes believes that humans are naturally bad, fighting and killing others for scarce resources. Both of these ideas affect the challenges of Islamic ethics, which are caused by a state of turmoil, amongst other things.
What is a ‘state of turmoil’?
War. Poverty. Famine. Pestilence. These can be said to bring upon a state of turmoil in a country as they come with oppression, destruction, and death. They brought upon us a state of extreme confusion, agitation, or commotion. These states of turmoil range from a personal crisis to an international crisis. It can be said that a state of turmoil occurs when one’s maqasid shariah is being threatened.
How does it affect us?
Instability and turmoil in life can affect our ability to be ethical. When we are in a state of turmoil, it is difficult to be rational or to have the means to perform ethical deeds.
Our illogicality stems from the inability to think properly or reasonably, since the mind is way too focused on the need to protect self. At an individual level, we need to cover our daruriyyat needs, such as food, water, and shelter, using legal means as stated in the Maqasid Sharia.
However, a state of turmoil will lead to desperation and resorting to unethical means to achieve these needs. For example, an important element of maqasid shariah, preservation of property, encourages us to have shelter and the security to retain it.
Hence, occupation is vital to secure our property. A state of turmoil like an economic crisis can lead to a low employability rate, and if we were fired or unable to secure a job, it would affect our ability to retain our property. Thus, maybe we will resort to a life of crime and thievery to secure our property, even if only for a short while.
Another similar illustration would be an economic crisis that causes the cost of living to skyrocket, such as currently in the United Kingdom, which will lead desperate citizens to steal for food. This is supported by the research done by Hussin et al., which finds a high positive correlation between the unemployment rate and crime rates in Malaysia.
Psychologically, hopelessness and helplessness can also affect one’s state of mind. The overwhelming surroundings can shroud our ability to have control over our situation, thinking that no matter what we do, nothing good will come out of it.
This is prevalent in today’s society. Headlines such as “Climate change is inevitable” and “Climate change doom and gloom” frequent our daily lives, making us feel that our efforts and struggles towards helping Earth are down the drain. This will lead to apathy and indifference, and we will end up discarding our routines and opting for something harmful to Earth.
Another example would be poverty. Growing up poor and seeing those around us work all the time yet still continuing to be poor, we may be conditioned to think that no matter what we do, we will still be poor, which will lead to apathy towards our own wellbeing. It can be said that we are being unethical towards ourselves because we are not helping ourselves. Hopelessness leads us to feel helpless in our own situation.
Western Perspective
Looking at this from a Western perspective, Abraham Maslow’s pyramid of happiness theory and Watson’s theory of Behaviorism seem to agree with our proposition.
In Maslow’s theory, we need to satisfy our two basic needs, which are physiological and security needs such as water, food, and shelter, before we can strive for self-actualization, a.k.a. being an ethical person. Such emotional and financial security can help us to be ethical since we have the mental ability to think about other people. Maslow argued that the failure to meet these needs can lead to mental illness or extreme stress, which could distance ourselves from performing ethical deeds.
This is related to Watson’s theory of Behaviorism where external factors can affect our behaviours. Behaviorism believes that a peaceful and merciful environment will guide people to develop peace and compassion; similarly, a harsh and cruel environment will lead people to develop harshness and cruelty. Thus, accordingly, a country filled with violence and indifference will instil aggression and brutality in its citizens, completely erasing the ethics that a person has.
Hence, being ethical does not just depend on our moral compass; it is also affected by our personal situation, capabilities and beliefs. While being ethical is an individual choice, the government and society play a major role in encouraging and developing an environment where ethics can flourish. A society where people have the ability and means to choose ethics is a step closer to a better world.
Comments