Justice and boundaries in ancient stories : guidance for modern bioethics

We can find in ancient and Biblical literature certain values that are of the lineage shared by much of Western culture today. Because of their persistence, they comprise part of what Hilary Putnam calls the 'moral image' we· have of ourselves. Knowing that these values have endured enables us to claim more justification in employing them in discussions of moral dilemmas today. Mere persistence, however, does not ensure that a value should continue to be honored. Some long-honored values have persistently led to human suffering. Still, the continuity of values over time suggests that they may offer insight into norms of human nature that should be taken seriously. We get information from the culture's stories about when violations of these values lead either to human suffering or human thriving. If we are sufficiently attentive to the various currents of the West's canonic literature-new and old-it may be possible to · begin sorting out which values we should set aside and which we should keep as part of our 'moral image.'