My "New Ten Commandments"

In his chapter on "the moral Zeitgeist" (German for "spirit of the times"), Richard Dawkins discusses how moral values have become more enlightened over time, with huge changes over only a few decades in the "consensus" on such things as slavery and female suffrage. And he suggests that "One way to express our consensual ethics is as a 'New Ten Commandments.'"¹
Intrigued by this suggestion, I tried to identify what my own ten might be. Here's my initial attempt:

1. In all things, try to do no harm.
This rule, adapted from the Hippocratic Oath traditionally taken by physicians, could usefully guide us to refrain from harming others and from making matters worse in all kinds of cases, including how we contribute to environmental degradation. We do harm, for example, when we make an unnecessary trip or use a vehicle that consumes excessive amounts of fuel.

2. Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you.
The negative version of "The Golden Rule," apparently formulated by Confucius, has always seemed to me less meddlesome and more practically useful than the version attributed by some Christians to Jesus.

3. Don't rush to judgment but give everyone the benefit of an open mind; don't convict an accused person if you have reasonable doubt as to the person's guilt.
This one applies everyday, but especially if you should find yourself on a jury, where you may be required to watch adversaries far more interested in winning your vote than in administering justice.

4. Formulate laws as if you didn't know what your position in the pecking order would be.
This one I paraphrased from the unique contribution to political philosophy of Harvard philosopher John Rawls (1921-1990). Ever since I heard of it a few years ago, I've considered something like this to be essential for a just society. Of course, in America at present, laws are written largely to benefit lobbyists (whose money helps secure them a high position in the pecking order).

5. Treat all other living creatures humanely.
Alas, I follow this one far from perfectly, for I am not a vegan. The best I can say for myself is that I do not kill other animals for sport, I brake for animals on the roadway, I take good care of our dog, I feed and water the birds that visit our yard, I refrain from killing snakes (even poisonous ones), and I pause for a moment before eating the flesh of another animal to acknowledge the injustice of the way it was raised and killed to indulge the taste of humans. I have profound respect for those who follow this principle to the extent of eating no animal flesh.

6. Always be willing to revise your beliefs according to evidence and reason.
This one can help keep us honest with ourselves and remind us to resist superstition and magical thinking. Life in a complex world requires realistic thinking.

7. Do not indoctrinate your children, but teach them how to think for themselves, how to evaluate evidence, how to generate new ideas, and how to disagree with you.
I adapted this one from four items Dawkins says he would try to find room for in his list². Ancient superstitions and bad advice are perpetuated by indoctrination and the suppression of critical and creative thinking (and their effective use together).

8. Support your country when it is right, oppose it when it is wrong.
The absolutist credo of a certain kind of patriot has long been condemned for its arrogance and brutality. It is time to move on to try to establish a just world order.

9. Question authority; challenge authority that appears illegitimate or contrary to reason.
A principle such as this is essential to counteract false authority (such as that claimed by religious leaders for their ancient scriptures or by political cheats who managed to become "leaders") and invalidate the excuse that "I was just following orders."

10. Thou shalt not bow down and worship an unlikely god.
Let one new commandment suffice to dispatch the first three old commandments of Mosaic Law.

Having drafted this yesterday and slept on it overnight, I am chastened to recognize its inadequacy. There's a natural tension between the "do no harm" prohibition and the "live the best life" prescription. The Mosaic commandments were mostly prohibitive; I've tended toward the prohibitive myself. But what about the use of time? Dawkins would include in his list³ a commandment such as "Value the future on a timescale longer than your own." What about reading?
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1. P. 263 of The God Delusion.
2. P. 264.
3. Ibid.