Imagine a world without ethics. Civil war reigns supreme. There is no law, no model of society, no higher learning, and no way of surviving but through brute force. It is, in fact, the law of the jungle… the survival of the fittest. Society has broken down and technological advance has ceased. Science is a lost art and philosophy a thing of the past. We have reverted to an animal state.

    Sociological research has long debated the problem of “Nurture vs. Nature”. This problem asks the important question, “Are we born to our innate human nature or are we products of the society in which we live”? Though there is support for the premise that we are born with inherent character tendencies, most sociological experts agree that the most influential factor of human behavior is the external influence of our society. So what are these standards, how do they influence us, and are they sufficient for a functional society?  These are very important questions to address.
    Even before our births, our environment has a direct influence on us. Scientific research has shown the benefits of pregnant women eating a healthy diet, abstaining from alcohol and drugs, and staying active. At birth, the human brain is already well developed and immediately begins the process of learning and adapting to his\her new environment. The early growth of human children is impacted most profoundly by the parents and siblings. The behavior patterns of the immediate family play an instrumental role in the development of mental health and a moral structure. Society has countless times demonstrated the short circuit of this process when the foundations of family fail.
    Throughout life, many things affect the development of our moral consciousness. Friends, enemies, careers, teachers, and activities all play an active role in our maturity. But most would agree that the current state of existence is not sufficient to meet the needs demanded by a just society.

    While most would accept the reality that there is a need for a positive change in human society, few would agree on the means to meet that end. Religious organizations have long been the sole representatives of justice and morality, and have succeeded in some ways, but failed in others. The main failure is a lack of cooperation, mutual understanding, and coexistence. Many religious organizations feel, understandably, that they have the sole monopoly on truth, and therefore refute all other religious beliefs and moral understandings. Few strive to understand their fellow man and penetrate beyond the veil of the superficial to see the commonalities underlying all humanity. But of course, there is a rationale behind this. Who’s opinions of morality do we accept as authoritative for all mankind? This is a deep and difficult to answer question, but one that must be addressed.

    The Society for Human Ethics and Moral-Consciousness, Inc. was formed to address this important question. Through sociological research and communication, our goal is to encourage humanity to return to the fundamental morals of their own cultural heritage, which we shall see are commonly accepted by all societies. Our secondary purpose is to create an open forum for communication and interaction between diverse cultures to address commonalities between them and heighten awareness of their individual moral understandings.

    Modern Western society has been influenced by numerous world religions. The primary three are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, born out of the heart of the Middle East. Modern Eastern societies have been influenced primarily through the religions of Brahmanism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.  Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Greek and Roman mythology, and ancient Egyptian religion influenced ancient societies, and indirectly modern society. With such a plethora of belief systems, it seems difficult indeed to isolate fundamental laws of human morality that they all share in common, but that is not at all the case. A closer look at the foundational beliefs of the major world religions displayes a common theme running throughout each. This common theme is the fundamental laws that govern a just society, laws that are so basic that they are understood as the foundation of all civilization. So what are these laws, and where did they come from? Could it indeed be true that all major world religions are founded upon their premises? Who spoke these laws, and when? And how is it that all human cultures inherently accept them as true? These are the questions that S.H.E.M. seeks to answer. Click here to find out more!!