Speaking of the highest good, what is my candidate for the honor? For me it has been the experience of unity, the knowing that comes from feeling one with Nature and Universe, all being, all beings. Out of that as it became more conscious, I saw how ethics flow from there, and further: the self-mastery necessary for ethical excellence as well. Good can hardly survive the force of ego. Thinking of the cardinal virtues, two (justice and courage) aim outward though rooted within, and two (wisdom/prudence and temperance) aim inward though fed from outward experience. Activity and contemplation need each other even if at times one supersedes the other. I wouldn’t claim that people who don’t know the unity of existence can’t be ethical, only that once experienced it adds force. Christian love (agape) is a good expression of this, even if too often unrealized by those who call themselves Christian today.
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
