-''It underlies our fundamental humanity and the need to create conditions in which our potential as rational and moral beings can be realized.'' -''Given the disturbing realities of the 21st century world, the present state of humanity can hardly be qualified as anything approaching rational and moral. Wars, nuclear arms, the defense budgets of nation-states, global warming, the growing gap between the rich and the poor, the deepening xenophobia, new forms of racism and a host of other social and political ills make “civilized life,” the purported goal of humanity, an increasingly rare commodity. '' -''The not-so-subtle attitude that we can do anything we want because we have the means to do so has already created many catastrophes for the natural environment and human societies. But since the belief in progressive civilizationism and ego-centric humanism remains strong, we pretend that we live rational, moral and civilized lives. But the reality is that reason, law and ethics, the three pillars of any human civilization, are subverted by the premises and practices of global capitalism and nation-state politics.'' -''A just and civilized world order is contingent upon law and ethics. A global legal system is necessary to ensure the rights of individuals. But it is not enough because law is eventually underpinned by ethics. For any legal system to function properly and effectively, one also needs ethics, a morality that teaches individuals, communities and states to respect the rights of others and nurture a sense of compassion and sympathy. There are many cases in which a legally lawful action, such as profiteering, can be morally indefensible. We need both law and ethics for a civilized world.'' -''This goes to the very core of our humanity. One of the root meanings of the word human, “al-insan” in Arabic, is related to nurturing empathy for others. The human person is one who has empathy for the natural world and other human beings. A civilized life also means developing genuine empathy and compassion for others.'' -''A civilized world order will emerge not with more technological gadgets or plans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) but with law, ethics and a genuine sense of compassion and empathy for others.'' http://www.todayszaman.com/columnistDetail_getNewsById.action?newsId=282729#.T8-JDEmHq2c.facebook