3. Nature’s Ethics: Everyone’s Business

“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.”

—Robert L. Peters

In human terms, ethics is a philosophy of doing the “right thing” based in personal and cultural values. Ethics is a conscious participation in the flow of life that uses common values to serve everyone. When you act ethically, the instinct to focus solely on yourself becomes secondary so you might consider how your actions will affect others, putting the greater good first. Ethics carry into all human activities, because they impact cultural and business exchanges, as well as the biological systems that support the world and everyone in it.

Key Concepts

• Nature’s ethics differ from human ethics.

• Design guidelines can be based on permaculture principles that nurture and sustain food growth and production.