Ethical wisdom is the product of a long history of human struggle.
By trial and error societies discover how to create mutually enhancing relationships. Yet ethics also come from the reality-producing function of the mind. In addition to being propelled by events of the past, human beings are simultaneously drawn forward by their view of the possibilities of the future. The challenge is to understand what conditions lead to human well-being, to envision an ideal ethical culture, and then derive principles that would create a good life.