On Wednesday 1 August Dr Simon Longstaff delivered an engaging lecture to the College community on the topic of “living an examined life”. The lecture was featured as part of the Newington College 2012 Centre for Ethics public program.

Dr Longstaff is a philosopher whose focus is in the field of applied ethics encompassing the wider community beyond academe. He has been Executive Director of St James Ethics Centre since 1991. Established in 1989, the Centre is an independent not-for-profit organisation, which provides a non-judgemental forum for the promotion and exploration of ethics.

The lecture provided an insight into the thinking of the Executive Director—he encourages the process of integrating ethical considerations into the strategic thinking of the management community. Dr Longstaff prides himself on his past experiences and says, ‘Having experience as a youth’ has allowed him to identify the needs of his clients.

Dr Longstaff then delved deeper into the complications of living an ‘examined life’, and where correct actions and ethics can become convoluted.

“When it is two good actions, is where it becomes difficult” he professed. It is when two conflicting actions both have beneficial consequences, he explained, that we must examine life.

Dr Longstaff was devoted to his ‘ethics’, meaning ‘what ought one to do with a time pressure’. He talks simply at the motion of fundamentalists where they abide by only a set of rules, hence alleviating the pressure to ‘examine.’ Certainty is sought after in society and it is that which we must abandon. He contended that we must be able to make decisions in the light that we do not fully know the consequences.

Longstaff then continued into an examination of ‘economical ethics’, which is another way for us to make things into black and white. As an example, while we are now justifying reduction of obesity by its costs, we should rather look at it from an ethical perspective. ‘Economic ethics’ is a construct that we now employ to justify our ends.

Longstaff concluded with a consensus statement that we are not to expect too much from each other. Everyone has their own set of ethical values that they use to make decisions, and they should not be condemned when something goes wrong. He teaches to answer truthfully and not to rationalise self interest and instinctive action by using ethical codes.

The next free Newington College Centre for Ethics lecture will feature Political Commentator Annabel Crabb, leading a discussion on ‘Media and Ethics in a Hyper Connected World. Contact Newington College Reception on 02 9568 9333 or contact@newingtoncollege.nsw.edu.au to reserve a place.

Andrew Zhao (11/MO)

Photo Above: Andrew Zhao, Zachary Scott (11/JN) and Tomas Meaney (11/PR).