ethics in action (joseph pampliega)

8/10/2019 Ethics in Action (Joseph Pampliega)

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Politics is Ethics, Ethics-in-Action

(Random Thoughts on Ethics-in-Politics with Levinas and my Social Sciences)

Joseph Sylvester Evidente Pampliega

of the 1869thStreet Theater, Talent Assistance and Events Group; an Angkan ni Vicente,

t took !e a"hile to re#oot !$ !ind #ecause it has #eco!e rust$ doing data entr$ here in

%anada& don't criticall$ use !$ !ind no" as often as "ould "hen "as there teaching, oreven (ust #eing in the acade!e, a!idst philosophers or persons "ho (ust love to think and think

criticall$& )$ environ!ent, !$ conte*t, is !$ issue& +ith "hat do, (ust code "hat see like

"as a %ro)agnon -coding., in their case, dra"ing, in the inside "alls of the caves of /ascau*

"hat the$ see& The$ -code. their hunt in colourful dra"ings; -code. docu!ent infor!ation,like dates, titles, authors and recipients, #lindl$; infor!ation that does not re0uire !e to think at

all& +hat see is "hat code& !a$ at ti!es even feel a! living a life of solipsis! not havinga single soul "ith the patience to even (ust listen (ust so can sa$ that "hat a! thinking is

intersu#(etivel$ constituted& And so, it took !e a"hile to actuall$ give this topic a shot& Thanks

to a$ )ichael %ordero for sharing this opportunit$ to #e a#le to share !$ thoughts& t is !$

sanit$&

These are !$ rando! thoughts on the topic "e are e*ploring, having also in !ind, since/evinas' thoughts are central to our gathering, his ethics, along "ith the things have learned

fro! !$ sciences&

t is the intent of this gathering, through e*ploring Ethics and 2olitics or Ethicsin2olitics, to

clarif$ "hat politics is and rene" our consciousness of "hat true politics is, guided #$ the

0uestions, first of all, "hat is politics3 +hat is ethics3 +hat is ethicsinpolitics3 "hich #elieve is the concept "e are tr$ing to !ake sense of in this gathering& Are the$ related,

conceptuall$ or essentiall$3 s politics related to ethics3 s ethics presupposed in politics3 %an

there #e politics "ithout ethics3

Ethics-in-politicsis also kno"n aspolitical moralityorpublic ethics& t is the practice of !aking

!oral (udg!ents a#out political action& t is also the stud$ of that practice& t tries to look at theethics of practice or the ethics of office first of all& The focus is the pu#lic officials, the

politicians and the !ethods the$ use& Take note4 the politician and their !ethods& 5ight then and

there, "e see an issue alread$& The other is ethics of policy"hich looks at the policies or thela"s& n so!e sense, in this practice, ethics or the ethicist acts as a guard dog, the !oral (udge, if

not the -gadfl$. of societ$& t places ethics a#ove politics as it looks at ho" politics is done, ho"

ethical politics is& Given that, "ith ethics a#ove politics, -guarding. it, it "ould see! thatpolitics, conceptuall$ and essentiall$, has the tendenc$ to #e #ad, to #e dirt$& ut is this so3

)a$#e "e should ask "hat politics is in the first place& +hat is it for3 Given that politics is asocial fact, follo"ing 7urkhei!'s thoughts, it has a function& Ever$thing else that does not have

function ceases to e*ist& ut politics does e*ist, hard fact, and so it has a function& So, "hat is it


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for3 2olitics, defined conceptuall$, are activities associated "ith governance.; it is -the de#ate

#et"een parties having po"er. :*ford, & Sociologicall$, politics has to do "ith po"er,

ho" it is distri#uted in certain social organi?ation, in conte*t to a certain political organi?ation&n a sense, politics cut across the develop!ent of hu!an societies or civili?ations& t started

si!ple "ith patriarchs and !atriarchs of #and s$ste!s and has #eco!e co!ple*, co!plicated, as

societ$ developed in structure and processes& @o" "e have presidents and pri!e !inisters "iththeir ca#inets, the "hole #ureaucrac$, set in place out of the necessit$ #rought #$ develop!ent of

societ$&> 2olitical organi?ations, for!s of govern!ent, "ere founded fro! ideologies that intend

to respond to present issues, social pro#le!s; to respond to the call of the times& 2olitics is theresponse to these present, even pressing issues, social pro#le!s& Politics is the response to the

call of the times& Given that, po"er and its distri#ution is intended to respond to the call of the

ti!es& +ith this intention, "e co!e to reali?e that politics is a -"a$ of doing things., an activit$,

a de#ate& or "hat3 To respond to the call of the ti!es& That is "h$, as said a "hile ago,political organi?ations, "here politics happen, as it responds to the call in a particular social

contet, also develops along "ith it& As it develops, for!s of govern!ents are founded all

#ecause it responds to the call of the ti!es&

@o" as to ethics, "ould not discuss in thoroughl$ /evinas' ethics #ut "e kno" that for hi!ethics happens in that ver$ !o!ent that "e recogni?e the face& The !ere -ga?e. upon the face,

the :ther -orders and ordains. us, co!pels us to -give and serve.& t #ounds us to respond& t

#eco!es our responsi#ilit$ to respond B in that ver$ encounter& Take it our leaven it, fro! the

personal e*perience of -Sa!e. to that, "hen taken all together, #eco!es a co!!unal e*perience,a social e*perience& All of us, the societ$, are #ound to respond to the :ther& To /evinas' ter!,

it #eco!es human sociality& 2olitics, then, is the collective response to the call of the Cu!an

ace, to the ace of Cu!anit$& 2olitics, then, is ethics& 2olitics, as a response #ound #$responsi#ilit$, as "e do the -"a$ of doing things., the activities, the de#ates of and in political

organi?ations, of governing our govern!ents to respond to the call, 2olitics is ethicsinaction&

Caving pointed that out, as to the 0uestion "hether politics is related to ethics, "hether ethics ispresupposed in politics, and that can politics #e "ithout ethics, "ould sa$ this4

%onceptuall$, politics is ethics since it responds to the face, it responds to the ace of Cu!anit$at that ver$ !o!ent of encounter& +e have seen this, though unconsciousl$ in its develop!ent

as societies developed, as populations increased, and as hu!an pro#le!s B social pro#le!s B

#eco!e co!ple*, #eco!e co!plicated& +e responded instituting political organi?ations to dopolitics, to respond4 to put things in order, to put our da$ to da$ lives in order& Essentiall$,

politics is al"a$s ethical& ts act of doing politics, politicking, as it is the response to the Cu!an

ace, is al"a$s good& t is authentic& f not, then, to /evinas' thoughts, "e #eco!e inauthentic&2olitics is essentiall$ good& :ur (udg!ent of "hat to do to respond>, "h$ "e do things a certain

"a$ to respond>, ho" "e should do things to respond> is good, al"a$s good, and is directed

to"ard good, to #etter, as it responds to the ace of Cu!anit$, "hat is "hat is real in societ$,"hat can #e perceived> and to "ork for "hat should #e the ideas, our goals>&

The third 0uestion is no" ver$ trick$& %an there #e politics "ithout ethics3 This 0uestion isgrounded on the fact that "hat "e -see. people doing politics, in short our politicians, are doing

isn't reall$ going the "a$ politics is or should #e conceptuall$ and essentiall$& 5ealit$ #ites& :r

should sa$ perceptions #ite us& The negative associations "e have of politics are !oulded #$"hat "e -see. and -hear., #$ "hat "e perceived #asicall$, "hat "e "itness& This is unfortunate&

ut is this so3 t is so eas$ for us to (ust sa$ politics can #e #ad, that politics can or even,


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looking fro! ho" it is no"ada$s, is dirt$& Thus, "e need a practice or a stud$ called Ethicsin

2olitics to guard us, to #e our !oral (udge& ut is this so3

Truthfull$, a! #ound #$ !$ perceptions as "ell& could not -see. #e$ond !$ perceptions and

a! afraid to #ring !$ rando! thoughts deeper that !ight fall detached fro! realit$, that

!ight fall to the trap of #eing theoretical, that !ight #e too a#stract as opposed to ho" /evinassee ethics, in the ver$ encounter, as -contrete.& %an -see. politics, distinct, fro! corruption,

fro! vote#u$ing, fro! -political. killings3 Are these social pro#le!s politics, !ore so,political, in the real sense3

%an politics #e "ithout ethics3 @o& 2olitics is conceptuall$ and essentiall$ #ound to ethics, and, "ould sa$, even vice versa& There is no -other side.& There is no true or false side& There is

(ust politics, one and true& This appears naDve if speak #efore people "ho !a$ have not !et

/evinas and have #een #ound #$ "hat the$ perceive& ut this can #e radical, an indu#ita#lehope "e have, for those "ho understand /evinas that things "ill fall into place& @o" ho"

should "e understand the perceived -dirt. in -politics., "hich no" "e should 0ualif$, not as

politics an$!ore, #ut -dirt. in our political organi?ation, in govern!ent3

f politics is ethicsinaction, if it is ethical, ho" can corruption, a!ong all the rest "e can

enu!erate, for instance, happen3 +e can approach it the co!!on "a$ "e do, pointing out to theindividual, the politician, "hich eventuall$, in the long run, stain the real intent, the concept and

essence of, politics, "hich is to respond to the call of the face, the Cu!an ace, the ace of

Cu!anit$& ut "hat no" of corruption3 +here the hell did it co!e fro!3 Co" the hell did itcreep into the halls of our political organi?ations3 %orruption happens #ut it is not s$non$!ous

to politics& Vote#u$ing, cheating, -political. killings, thought in a sense, are affairs of political

organi?ations, is not s$non$!ous to politics& The !o!ent "e do things as such, politics, #$concept and essense, has alread$ ceased& "ill not sa$, "e do not participate an$!ore in politics

#ecause it grants the act still "ithin the idea of politics& should sa$, the !o!ent "e do such

things like vote#u$ing, "e did not do politics an$!ore& To the point of intending and the!o!ent of doing vote#u$ing, for instance, "e #eco!e, to /evinas' thoughts, inauthentic& +edeli#eratel$ decided to refuse the face, "e deli#eratel$ decided not to respond to the ace of

Cu!anit$& 2lain and si!ple& The Sa!e ceases to respond& +ith this, there is a distinct #ut thin

line in the "a$ "e -see. or perceive politics& +hat "e see is the political organi?ation, thestructures in place, founded as societies developed& And "ith these structures, are the people, the

politicians, "ho should perfor! politics #ut, as !an$ of the! did, the$ cease to respond& The$

are (ust there in the structures, d$sfunctional to the function of politics and the politicalorgani?ations& 7istinct #ut thin line, plain and si!ple&

This #elieve is the consciousness "e have to reclai!& This #elieve is the true concept of

politics& t is ethics& t is ethicsinaction& That is "h$ in our endeavour to respond to the call ofthe ti!es B the call of the face, of the Cu!an ace, of the ace of Cu!anit$, as "e ga?e upon it

and do "hat "e can, #ig or s!all, in our fa!ilies, in our "orkplace, in the %hurch, in school, inour co!!unities, in societ$ and the "orld at large, in the "hole of hu!an societ$, "e do politics,

that in realit$, "e even should not have fear usurping the :ther& +h$3 +e have (ust a thousand

!ore, conceptuall$, of infinites to respond to& !agine that ine*hausti#ilit$3 That !agnitude ofresponsi#ilit$3 That is "h$ as "e -see. these -dirt. happening in our govern!ent, "e step #ack

and ga?e upon the ace, -see. the face of our social pro#le!s, and continue to respond, continue

to #e responsi#le& 5e!e!#er that there is no reciprocit$ inas!uch as the :ther that even the


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idea of corruption and the corrupt, as "e ga?e upon it, "e cannot de!and change or rene"al&

And #ecause of that, "e are all the !ore responsi#le&

This consciousness that politics, in its truth, cannot #e tainted #$ inauthenticit$ should strengthen

our hope that the things "e do, the advocacies "e stand in, s"eat and #lood e*pelled, is not $et

enough to "ipe clean, spick and span, the -dirt. "e have no" in our political organi?ation& n itsine*hausti#ilit$, in its !agnitude, (ust as it -orders and ordains. us "ith as !uch !agnitude of

responsi#ilit$, "e take it patientl$, one step at a ti!e& Cope "orks that "a$& t should not allo"us to cease responding& t feeds our desire, in the /evinasian sense, to #e infinitel$ responsi#le to

the :ther&

ethics in action (joseph pampliega)

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