宗教倫理學的基本原理與中層原則 : 以基督宗教與佛教為主軸的一個探索=The Basic Principle of the Mid-Level Rules of Religious Ethics : An Exploration Centering around Christianity and Buddhism
In the study of law, it is necessary to understand the spirit behind the establishment of laws and the principle according to which laws are given. The next point to realize is its basic standard ( i.e the constitution), and then the material and formal laws, or even more detailed administrative regulations and all kinds of concrete cases, based on the foundation of the constitution. Government agencies, civil organizations, business conglomerates and religious bodies have to consult these high-level stipulations when they settle on their own constitutions. Worldly law developed in this way step by step. The same is the case with religious law. Ethics in the philosophies and ideological systems of each religion can produce a number of mind-level rules from their basic principle and then, from mid-level rules, develop basic standards and from basic standards all kids of different law systems. When they decide individual cases by extension from various law systems, they produce decisions which later generations can consult. The present paper uses the four most basic mid-level rules principlism is talking about, in order to check ethics in Christianity and Buddhism. From the vastly different basic principles of these great religions—“creation” and “dependent arising”—it is deduced how they arrive at common ground regarding mid-level rules. Furthermore, the inner logic of the formation of their basic standards is described as well as the doubts they have to face and the way they respond to those. To give an example, the Christian teaching of “one created everything,” the concept of “one is everything” found in mystified Buddhism, and the “karmic obstacle” concept reflecting simple cause-effect consideration are all easily criticized to fall into the trap of fatalism. Christianity is also prone to be accused of intolerance. The present paper discusses especially ethics regarding animals as presented by these two religions since their greatest difference exists when they argue about extending the principles of “not harming,” “love,” and “justice” to animals.
