Well-being and 21st Century Morality and Virtue
In the present era, with the advancement of science and technology, human societies feel the need for a deeper understanding of the concepts of well-being, morals and virtue. The philosophical use of the term “well-being” includes both positive and negative aspects. On the positive side, it means feeling happiness, as a result of which a person achieves a sense of satisfaction in life.
In this approach, by recognizing the virtues and how to use them to recognize the evils, one is in order to purify the soul from them. In fact, moral concepts change with the variation in the positive direction of social life. On the other hand, there is another different concept of well-being, which means “welfare” and "personal interests" (Stanford). In this view, my personal interests are what is in my own interest and not that of others. In this approach, there is no balance between good and bad things in a person's life, and as a result, the whole intellectual and practical structure of the person is formed based on more profit and pleasure.
Various theories have been formed around these intellectual views and have been considered by philosophers for many years, because addressing the phenomenon of well-being plays an essential role in any moral theory. Ancient morality, in a sense, was more concerned with well-being than with modern morality. The main question for many ancient moral philosophers was, which life is better for one? For Aristotle, virtue or the ‘good will’ is not only morally good, but good for the individual, so one's virtue may be accompanied by the virtue of others (Stanford). In my opinion, the positive aspect of welfare is a phenomenon that all human beings in society need equally, that is, social welfare. In a country where social welfare is available to individuals, virtue and morality can also be formed among individuals, and personal interests give way to social interests. I think that in the face of the dangers that threaten the lives of billions of people today, such as the corona epidemic these days, paying attention to spiritual and moral standards plays a crucial and important role.
Weak and Strong Conceptions of Knowledge in the 21st cent
Acquisition of knowledge is inherent in every human being, and we unconsciously seek to discover the unknown from birth. In today's world, unlike in the past, knowledge plays a key role in gaining opportunities for success. We need the ability to compete and have 21st century skills, including critical thinking and problem solving, creativity and innovation, social and cultural responsibility, global and environmental awareness, communication, digital literacy, etc. (Monari). Acquiring knowledge helps us to achieve our goals and determines the direction of our movement in life. I think a large percentage of the human population today can access the information they need for free or at a low cost and in some way acquire knowledge in any field. This social phenomenon has been created especially thanks to the internet, a technology with which we can access thousands of websites that contain information on all the topics we want. Some of the strengths of today's knowledge is that you can learn more and at a lower cost. Some of the weaknesses are the need to filter information and know which sources are reliable (Monari). I think, it is based on the knowledge that we have been able to find appropriate solutions to problems and continue to work and live today in the corona epidemic crisis.
Ethics and climate change
Climate change is one of the most complex issues facing the world today, and many scholars have studied the effects of ethics on this important phenomenon. Climate ethics is an area of research that focuses on the ethical scopes of climate change (global warming), and concepts such as “climate justice”. “It has been pointed out that those most responsible for climate change are not the same people as those most vulnerable to its effects” (Miller & Eggleston). On an important issue such as climate change, although science may be able to inform policies by predicting the extent of severe climate change, science is never enough. In dealing with environmental challenges, fairness, justice and social ethics are required. This is true of the three major ethical dilemmas that now complicate the debate on climate change:
1- How can the rights and responsibilities of developed and developing countries be balanced?
2- How to evaluate land engineering projects designed to change or reduce climate change?
3- How to assess their responsibility to future generations who must live with the climate we are shaping today? (Somerville).
Today, the seriousness of the issue of climate change is almost universal. Many sections of society now recognize that an effective climate agreement must explicitly include an ethical dimension. Many people welcome attending classes that are held in order to observe justice and ethics in the field of warming.” Nearly all the nations of the world now agree that atmospheric greenhouse gases should be kept below a level that would produce dangerous human-caused climate change” (Miller & Eggleston). Thus, climate change has given rise to serious ethical issues; especially because of the global dimension of this phenomenon, everyone agrees that we must take serious action. Although serious ethical issues have been raised, such as fairness and accountability, there is no doubt that more accurate planning is needed (Somerville). I believe that, it is the duty of our generation to preserve the earth for future generations by observing the moral aspect.
Projecting Future Climate Change
Scientists have been making projections of future global warming using climate models of increasing intricacy for the past decades. These climate models, using various sciences such as atmospheric physics and biogeochemistry, play an important role in our understanding of future earth climate change. Researchers predict based on climate models that the earth's temperate average will increase in the future, but the rate of warming will depend on the decisions we make about fossil fuels and land use. They believe that if we continue to emit too much greenhouse gases, it will cause global warming in the 21st century compared to the 20th century. “During the 21st Century, computer models predict that global average temperature will rise 4° C (7.2° F) if greenhouse gas levels continue to rise. But with swift action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, models project that global average temperature will only rise an additional 1° Celsius (1.8° F)” (Predictions of Future … ). In this way, the impact of climate change in different regions is directly related to the ability of different social and environmental systems to reduce or adapt to climate change. To the extent that countries adhere to the protocols set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they can play a role in conserving the land.
Conferring to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), "the range of published evidence indicates that the net damage costs of climate change are likely to be significant and to increase over time" (The Effects of…). Projections show that climate change will affect regions differently. For instance, temperature increases are expected to rise more than the oceans and at higher latitudes than in the tropics and mid-latitudes. Warmer temperatures also cause changes in the oceans, ice in the Arctic and other aspects of the climate (such as rain, snow and clouds). Some of the most serious climate changes are: changing precipitation, rising sea level,melting snow and ice,changing clouds,Acidic ocean water,risks to marine life,risks to life on land and so on (Predictions of Future…).
According to experts, some changes in climate are gradual and predictable, while others are more sudden and more difficult to predict. The latter is often referred to as the "peak". The culmination of a sudden and massive change that cannot be easily stopped even at the last moment and with pre-planned actions. Feasible “peak” themes include, large ice falls in Greenland and Antarctica, Thermohalin Circulation Disorder,sudden release of methane, carbon uptake into the ocean. Scientists have provided scientific evidence to prove such massive events, but it seems that none of these important things will happen in the next few decades. However, the fact that we cannot retreat from them after moving is very problematic, so we must take them into account when assessing the overall risks of climate change (Predictions of Future…).
As Risi & Carius claimed, climate change will destroy the world order of the 21st century and affect the way we live and work and the changing systems of production, trade, economy and finance. Even now, in the midst of a global epidemic, it is clear that climate change will be the defining issue of this century. In other words, COVID-19 emphasizes the inadequacy of our responses to global crises and increases the urgency of addressing crises such as climate change. Initiatives such as the EU-UN Green Deal and domestic reconstruction efforts in response to COVID-19 will reflect growing political ambitions (Risi & Carius). In my opinion, given the importance of this complex and global issue, each of us humans must be responsible and effective in saving the earth, in order to preserve this treasure for ourselves and future generations.
International Relations and Diplomacy in a “New Reality”
Diplomacy is a subset of international relations that typically focuses more narrowly on the negotiation process between representatives of different nations or, in some cases, large corporations from different countries. In other words, diplomacy is the main tool of foreign policy and global governance, which shows the broader goals and strategies that guide a country's interactions with the rest of the world. Treaties, agreements, alliances and other international foreign policy actions are usually the result of negotiations and diplomatic processes (5 Reasons to…). Among the functions of diplomacy are to prevent war and violence and to strengthen relations between countries. So without diplomacy, many things in the world will be lost, there will be no international organizations, and no doubt the whole world will be in a constant war.
Modern diplomacy is now experiencing fundamental change with tremendous speed, and it provides an opportunity for governments to communicate directly with more audiences in civil societies, as well as other influential governments and individuals. “Technical developments, mainly digitization, affect how the work of the diplomat is understood” (Stanzel). Today, countries embrace e-diplomacy and use platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and more to communicate. Modern diplomatic methods, practices and principles of international relations, adopted by most of the independent countries of the world, provide a framework for diplomatic behavior, which may be revised and modified on the basis of continuous global change (5 Reasons to…). Adopting digital diplomacy (for example, using social media for diplomatic purposes) is involved in changing the way diplomats occupy in information management, public diplomacy, strategic planning, international negotiations, or even crisis management (Bjola & Holmes). Twenty-first century diplomacy must be such as to shape the changing transformational systems needed and to promote and simplify new ways of many-sided cooperation. In my opinion, the crisis of the corona epidemic, which has affected the whole world, will also affect international relations and diplomacy of countries, and may lead to new methods and principles. Even tackling this global crisis requires extensive global cooperation at the level of international relations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our world is under constant change. The realities of the world around us are subject to many changes that inevitably affect all aspects of our lives. We must prepare ourselves to face these changes. In the first place, our view and definition of life is important. The meaning of life varies from person to person, because people have a different view of life. To find the true meaning of life, it must be researched and studied from different dimensions. Because people's life priorities can vary from person to person depending on geographical, cultural, political and even family circumstances. In addition, we face various issues in life that the use of critical thinking can be effective. With the help of critical thinking we will be able to ask appropriate questions and gather relevant information. Then categorize them creatively and reason logically; finally, we'll come to a reliable conclusion. As human beings, we cannot be indifferent to the changes around us, because despite the fact that we live in different geographical areas, we affect each other. This relationship is felt in global crises, such as the crisis of climate change and epidemic diseases such as the Covid-19 situation, which have affected the whole world. Having morals and social virtue is needed more than ever, and is more effective in relations between nations and governments. I think, the corona pandemic, with all its problems, can be the basis for testing moral theories and human relations in the field of practice and experience.
Works Cited
Bjola, Corneliu & Holmes, Marcus. “Digital Diplomacy: Theory and Practice." Routledge. March 19,
Monari, Bosire. “21st Century Students’ Knowledge, Skills and Attitudes: Implication for
Teacher Education Reform.” CW-Department of Educational Management. 2015.
Miller, Dale E. & Eggleston, Ben. “Moral Theory and Climate Change: Ethical Perspectives on a
Warming Planet.” Routledge. April 21, 2020.
“Predictions of Future Global Climate.” Center for science education. 2021.
Risi, Lauren H & Carius, Alexander. “21st Century Diplomacy: Foreign Policy is Climate Policy
(Report & Project Launch).” Environmental Change and Security Program. October 1, 2020.
“5 Reasons to Study International Relations and Diplomacy.” Northeastern University: Graduate
Programs. July 19, 2019.
https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/why-study-international-relations-diplomacy/
Stanzel, Volker. "New Realities in Foreign Affairs: Diplomacy in the 21st Century." SWP
Research Paper. 12 Nov 2018.
Somerville, Richard. "The Ethics of Climate Change." Yale School of the Environment. June 2,
"Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy." Well-Being. Nov 29, 2001, substantive revision. Sep 6,
“The Effects of Climate Change.” global climate change: Vital signs of the Planet.
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