Hans Küng and the Global Ethic Foundation

Hans Küng is a Roman Catholic priest, an author, and a theologian who was born in Switzerland in 1928. In 1962 he was appointed by Pope John XXIII to serve as an expert theologian advisor to the Second Vatican Council. He is known for rejecting the doctrine of papal infallibility; consequently, the church does not allow him to teach Catholic theology, but he is allowed to teach ecumenism. He is professor of ecumenism at the University of Tübingen. Since 1995, Küng has presided over the Global Ethic Foundation (Stiftung Weltethos). The purpose of this blog is to promote ecumenism and those who promote it; therefore, this is the reason why this post is being made because Hans Küng has been at the forefront of ecumenical thought much longer than I have been on planet Earth. If you would like to learn more about the Global Ethic Foundation, please visit their website which will be provided at the end of this post, but let’s first address the topic of Global Ethic.  

What is a Global Ethic? Well, according to the Global Ethic Foundation it is as follows:

"The vision of a global transformation of ethical awareness: whether at a worldwide, national or local level, men and women are dependent on shared basic ethical values, criteria and attitudes for peaceful coexistence.

Such values can be found in all the great religious and philosophical traditions of humankind. They need not be invented anew, but people need to be made aware of them again; they must be lived out and handed on.

So there is a need for:

• A dialogue of religions and cultures, especially a knowledge of common features in ethics.

• An education in values which transcends cultures. Children, too, need to learn that peaceful coexistence at all levels depends on observing elementary rules. No society can function without a foundation of values which binds it together.

• Ethical and intercultural competence in business. More than ever, enterprises competing internationally need norms which transcend cultures.

• International policies anchored in law and ethics: understanding, cooperation and integration instead of military confrontation (http://www.weltethos.org/data-en/c-10-stiftung/10a-definition.php)."

Below is the link to the Global Ethic Foundation.

Global Ethic Foundation for Inter-cultural and Inter-religious Research, Education and Encounter

Reference:

http://www.weltethos.org/index-en.php