The 10 Commitments

[domer76]

A superior, secular set of ethical standards for classrooms. Notice there are no commands. “I wills” versus “thou shalt”.

Empathy - I will consider other peoples thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Responsibility - I will be a good person even when nobody is looking and own the consequences of my actions.

Global awareness - I will be a good neighbor to the people who share the Earth with me and help make the world a better place for everyone.

Environmentalism - I will take care of the Earth and the life on it.

Humility - I will be aware of my strengths and weaknesses and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of others.

Critical thinking - I will practice good judgment by asking questions and thinking for myself.

Ethical development - I will always focus on becoming a better person.

Peace and social justice - I will help people solve problems and handle disagreements in ways that are fair to everyone.

Service and participation - I will help my community in ways that let me get to know the people I am helping

Altruism - I will help others in need without hoping for reward.

 

[Cypress]

A superior, secular set of ethical standards for classrooms. Notice there are no commands. “I wills” versus “thou shalt”.

Empathy - I will consider other peoples thoughts, feelings and experiences.

Responsibility - I will be a good person even when nobody is looking and own the consequences of my actions.

Global awareness - I will be a good neighbor to the people who share the Earth with me and help make the world a better place for everyone.

Environmentalism - I will take care of the Earth and the life on it.

Humility - I will be aware of my strengths and weaknesses and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of others.

Critical thinking - I will practice good judgment by asking questions and thinking for myself.

Ethical development - I will always focus on becoming a better person.

Peace and social justice - I will help people solve problems and handle disagreements in ways that are fair to everyone.

Service and participation - I will help my community in ways that let me get to know the people I am helping

Altruism - I will help others in need without hoping for reward.

Except for environmentalism, those are pretty much just the ethics found in the western Jewish-Christian-Stoic traditions, with the religious or spiritual language and context just stripped away.

And there's nothing wrong with that -- taking values and ethics from our oldest literary traditions, and secularizing them.

One thing I like about the Stoic and Christian literary traditions, is they go further to speak to the cultivation of self discipline to control anger, hate, desire, pride, avarice.