Ethigrality Six Principles

What Are the Six Principles?

 The Six Principles are the ethical foundation of Ethigrality. They articulate the indispensable goods without which individuals, communities, organizations, and societies cannot flourish. They are not Western or Islamic or particular to any one tradition—they are universal goods that appear across cultures, religions, and philosophies worldwide.

Five principles define what must be protected. One principle—Balance—ensures they are never pursued at the expense of each other.

Together, they form a coherent system where preservation and flourishing are inseparable.

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    Protecting health, safety, food, shelter, and the living systems that make life possible.

     Life is the foundation of all other goods. Without survival, progeny cannot be secured, wealth has no purpose, conscience cannot flourish, and intellect cannot develop. This principle demands that governance prioritize human and ecological survival—the physical conditions that make existence possible.

    Violations include: neglect of public health, poverty-driven starvation, unsafe working conditions, preventable disease, ecosystem collapse that undermines food and water security, and violence.

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    Respecting future generations—no progress today should rob tomorrow's security.

    Progeny extends Life across time. It means investing in education, family stability, and ecological sustainability so that future generations inherit a habitable world, not depleted resources and broken institutions. This principle refuses to trade the future for present convenience.

    Violations include: over-extraction of natural resources, unsustainable debt burdens passed to children, failure to invest in education, policies that destabilize families and communities, and ecological damage that forecloses future possibilities.

  •  Preservation of Intellect

    Safeguarding knowledge, truth, education, and moral reasoning.

     Intellect is the capacity to understand reality and make free, informed choices. This principle protects the freedom to learn, question, and reason—whether through science, philosophy, art, or dialogue. It rejects censorship, disinformation, and the manipulation of reason for narrow interests.

    Violations include: suppression of academic freedom, control of media and information, deliberate disinformation campaigns, curtailment of critical thinking in education, and technologies that undermine rational capacity.

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    Upholding freedom of belief, dignity, and moral integrity.

    Conscience is the capacity to hold and act on moral convictions. This principle protects freedom of religion, philosophy, and ethical orientation—and equally protects the right to dissent, to question authority, and to maintain moral integrity even under pressure. It rejects coercion in matters of belief.

    Violations include: persecution based on religion or philosophy, denial of freedom of conscience, coercion to conform, discrimination based on moral identity, and suppression of dissent or critical moral witness.

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    Circulating resources fairly, treating wealth as a trust for people and planet.

     Wealth is not mere accumulation but stewardship—resources held in trust for community and creation. This principle demands that resources circulate fairly, that exploitation and theft are prohibited, and that extreme inequality is corrected. Wealth has meaning only when shared justly.

    Violations include: theft and fraud, unjust taxation, extreme inequality, exploitative labor, usury and predatory finance, and treating creation as a commodity to be extracted without limit.

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    Ensuring no principle is pursued at the expense of another.

    Balance is the operating principle that harmonizes the five core principles. It ensures that progress in one domain never erodes another—that Life is protected without destroying Progeny, that Wealth circulates without violating Conscience or Intellect, that Intellect advances without suppressing Conscience. Balance asks the fundamental question: are all five principles advancing together, or is one being sacrificed for others?

    Violations include: policies that advance one principle while degrading another, systems that concentrate benefits while distributing costs unequally, extraction without regeneration, short-term gains at the expense of long-term stability, and growth that improves some indicators while worsening others.

 How Do the Six Principles Work Together? 

 

The Five Core Principles (Life, Progeny, Intellect, Conscience, Wealth) answer: What must be protected?

Balance (the transversal principle) answers: How must they be held together?

Here are common questions about how Balance integrates all five:

1. LIFE + BALANCE

  • a. Can't we just focus on health and safety today without worrying about ecosystems?

     

    No. Life requires Balance with ecology because present survival depends on future survival. A public health program that improves medical care today while destroying the water sources or agricultural systems future generations need violates Balance. You cannot maximize Life by sacrificing the ecological foundation that makes Life possible.

    Real-world example: A factory improves worker health standards (Life) but pollutes the river that supplies the surrounding community with drinking water (Balance violation). The factory has failed the Balance test—improving one aspect of Life while destroying another. True coherence means protecting worker health and ecosystem integrity simultaneously.

  • b. What does this look like in practice?

     Health policies that are also ecological policies. Environmental regulations that are also worker protection. Medical investment that asks: "Will this improve health today without destroying health tomorrow?"

    • A carbon reduction program that protects air quality (Life) AND includes retraining for displaced workers (ensuring economic Life continues) ✓ Balanced
    • A carbon reduction program that improves air quality while leaving workers jobless ✗ Violates Balance

2. PROGENY + BALANCE

  • Shouldn't we prioritize immediate needs over future concerns?

     

    You must do both. Progeny requires Balance across time—you cannot sacrifice present justice for future security, or vice versa.

    This means: Don't tell people suffering today "we'll fix it for your grandchildren." And don't tell children "we'll deal with the damage later." Both are violations of Balance.

    Real-world example: A development policy that creates jobs today (present justice) but leaves communities with unsustainable debt and depleted resources (future insecurity) violates Balance. So does an environmental policy that protects the future while condemning today's poor to poverty.

  • How do we balance present and future?

     Decisions must serve both timeframes simultaneously:

    • A climate policy that includes living wages for workers AND stays within ecological limits ✓ Balanced
    • A climate policy that protects the environment but impoverishes workers today ✗ Violates Balance (sacrifices present for future)
    • A development policy that creates jobs but leaves ecological devastation for future generations ✗ Violates Balance (sacrifices future for present)

    The test: Ask "Who pays the cost?" If it's future generations or today's poor, it's not balanced.

3. INTELLECT + BALANCE

  • Shouldn't we just pursue knowledge advancement? Why protect beliefs if we want progress?

    Because Intellect requires Balance with Conscience. You cannot advance knowledge at the cost of suppressing belief or critical dissent.

    Knowledge achieved through coercion, manipulation of information, or silencing of dissenting voices is not genuine knowledge—it's propaganda. And societies that suppress conscience in pursuit of knowledge typically produce bad science and bad governance.

    Real-world example: A government funds research (advancing Intellect) but suppresses researchers who publish findings critical of policy (violates Conscience). The research is compromised because people suppress inconvenient truths. Or: A technology company develops AI (advancing Intellect) but uses surveillance to monitor users' beliefs and manipulate their choices (violates Conscience). The technology is corrupted by the violation.

  • What does Intellect + Conscience Balance look like?

     Education and research that protect both advancement and freedom:

    • Schools that teach evolution AND respect students' religious beliefs ✓ Balanced
    • Schools that teach evolution while mocking students' faith ✗ Violates Balance (advancing knowledge suppresses conscience)
    • Universities that fund research AND protect researchers' right to speak truth (even uncomfortable truth) ✓ Balanced
    • Universities that suppress research that questions power ✗ Violates Balance (silencing dissent)

    The test: Can people think freely while learning? Can they believe AND reason? If not, it's not balanced.

4. CONSCIENCE + BALANCE

  • Can't we just protect religious freedom? Why does intellectual freedom matter?

    Because Conscience requires Balance with Intellect. You cannot protect freedom of belief without protecting freedom of inquiry.

    If people cannot question their own beliefs, examine evidence, or engage in dialogue, their "freedom" is hollow. Conscience without the capacity to think critically and investigate is just obedience wearing a mask.

    Real-world example: A society legally protects religious practice (Conscience) but prohibits education that might challenge religious assumptions (violates Intellect). Citizens cannot truly exercise conscience because they lack the information to make informed moral choices. Or: A community allows diverse beliefs (Conscience) but suppresses critical questions about those beliefs (violates Intellect). Conscience becomes dogma.

  • What does Conscience + Intellect Balance look like?

    Moral freedom grounded in knowledge:

    • Societies that protect religious practice AND fund quality public education ✓ Balanced
    • Societies that protect religious practice while keeping people ignorant ✗ Violates Balance
    • Organizations that respect worker values (Conscience) AND provide information and training (Intellect) ✓ Balanced
    • Organizations that say "we respect your beliefs" while withholding information ✗ Violates Balance

    The test: Can people think critically about what they believe? If not, conscience is compromised.

5. WEALTH + BALANCE

  • Isn't the priority just to create wealth and let the rest follow?

     No. Wealth requires Balance with all four other principles. You cannot circulate resources fairly without honoring Life, Progeny, Intellect, and Conscience.

    Wealth achieved by exploiting workers (violates Life), mortgaging the future (violates Progeny), suppressing knowledge (violates Intellect), or coercing people (violates Conscience) is not genuine wealth—it's extraction. And extractive systems eventually collapse.

    Real-world example: A corporation becomes profitable (Wealth) by:

    • Underpaying workers below living wages ✗ Violates Life
    • Ignoring environmental damage ✗ Violates Balance and Progeny
    • Suppressing worker voice ✗ Violates Conscience
    • Manipulating information ✗ Violates Intellect

    This is not coherent Wealth. It's predatory extraction masquerading as business.

  • What does Wealth + Balance look like?

    Resources circulated fairly while all principles are honored:

    • A company that pays fair wages (Wealth + Life), invests in long-term sustainability (Wealth + Progeny), supports worker education (Wealth + Intellect), and respects worker voice (Wealth + Conscience) ✓ Balanced
    • A cooperative enterprise that distributes profits to workers fairly ✓ Balanced
    • A financial system that provides access to credit for small business AND prevents predatory lending ✓ Balanced
    • A company that maximizes shareholder profit by any means necessary ✗ Violates Balance

    The test: Does this create wealth for some by diminishing Life, Progeny, Intellect, or Conscience for others? If yes, it violates Balance.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

 Q: How do I know if a policy or decision is balanced?

Ask two core questions: 

  • Question 1: Foundation — Survival & Future - Does it protect survival and health NOW while securing the future WITHOUT sacrificing present justice?

     

    This combines Life and Progeny:

    • Life: Does it protect health, safety, and survival for all?
    • Progeny: Does it secure the future without harming today's vulnerable?

    Both must be true. If you improve health today but destroy resources for tomorrow, you fail. If you protect the future but condemn people to poverty now, you fail.

  • Question 2: Freedom & Stewardship — Knowledge, Conscience, and Resources Does it advance knowledge and circulate resources fairly WHILE protecting freedom of belief and freedom to question?

     

    This combines Intellect, Conscience, and Wealth:

    • Intellect: Does it advance knowledge while protecting the freedom to investigate and question?
    • Conscience: Does it protect freedom of belief while enabling critical thinking?
    • Wealth: Does it circulate resources fairly while honoring all four other principles?

    All three must be true. If you advance knowledge by suppressing dissent, you fail. If you protect beliefs but prevent learning, you fail. If you create wealth by exploiting workers or the environment, you fail.

 Testing Your Policy: Real Examples 

Example 1: A Carbon Reduction Policy

 

Question 1 — Foundation:

  • Life: Does it improve air quality and prevent climate disaster? ✓
  • Progeny: Does it secure the future without harming today's poor? ✓ (includes just transition for workers)
  • Both YES

Question 2 — Freedom & Stewardship:

  • Intellect: Is it based on evidence and transparent science? ✓
  • Conscience: Does it respect community voice and values? ✓
  • Wealth: Does it create jobs and opportunity while phasing out extraction? ✓
  • All YES

Result: BALANCED. It can move forward with confidence.

Example 2: An AI Development Project

 

Question 1 — Foundation:

  • Life: Does it improve health or safety? Maybe...
  • Progeny: Does it serve future generations? Depends...
  • Unclear ⚠️

Question 2 — Freedom & Stewardship:

  • Intellect: Does it advance knowledge? ✓
  • Conscience: Does it respect privacy and freedom? ✗ (enables surveillance)
  • Wealth: Does it create fair opportunity or concentrate power? ✗ (profits accrue only to few)
  • NOT all YES

Result: UNBALANCED. It violates Conscience and Wealth. Redesign required before proceeding.

The violations are clear:

  • Conscience violation: Surveillance undermines freedom
  • Wealth violation: Concentrated profits violate fair circulation

Until these are addressed, the project cannot claim to be aligned with the Six Principles.

 

THE CORE PRINCIPLE

 

No indispensable good can be advanced at the expense of another.

This is not compromise—it's not splitting the difference between justice and injustice.

This is coherence: designing governance, business, and institutions so all five principles advance together.

When they don't, when one principle dominates at the expense of others, the system is incoherent. It may look productive short-term, but it will fracture long-term.

Balance ensures that doesn't happen.

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