‘Nothing has morality of its own’

Addressing a First Citizens Bank (FCB) breakfast meeting at the Hilton Trinidad, Fr Harvey said recent statements by Opposition Leader Basdeo Panday beg the question — does any profession or endeavour have a morality which is superior to the fundamental morality of society?

"When we say that politics, business or any profession has its own morality, it can easily degenerate into having the morality of the purpose, or no morality at all," Harvey warned. He added that such behaviour easily erodes the fundamental ethics of any society, causing it to degenerate into "the law of the jungle."

Focusing on Panday’s utterances about the unfolding drama involving "independent UNC MPs" Gillian Lucky and Dr Fuad Khan, Fr Harvey said: "The fundamental question for the politicians is — why do they engage in political activity? Is it solely for power? How many businessmen believe that business has a morality of its own? How many doctors believe that medicine has a morality of its own?"

He said it was not enough for anyone just to seek power or profit and forget their ethical obligations to the wider society, because this erodes trust in society and without trust, no human society can survive.

Fr Harvey declared that the Ten Commandments provide the perfect example of what true morality and social responsibility is all about. "The Ten Commandments are not the arbitrary injunction of a self-centreed divine being, drunk with his or her own power. They are really common sense guidelines without which no human community is really possible," he said.

Fr Harvey also said the late Pope John Paul II had been a strong advocate for proper societal ethics, and referred to several of his letters on the subject of business people focusing on profit as the sole regulator of their existence. According to Harvey, John Paul II consistently preached that business persons be cognisant of their responsibility to create a better quality of life for the society in which they lived, and must not be guided only by the power of the almighty dollar. Harvey also called for all businesses in Trinidad and Tobago to ensure that their operations are guided by a strong code of ethics and are able to build trust "across the board."

Turning briefly to crime, Harvey claimed that the police and the politicians "are woefully compromised in this regard" and wondered if members of the business community could find the will to look within their ranks to find persons who have become successful through illegal means. "It may cost some lives, but nothing less will save us from a worse fate as a nation," he said grimly.

FCB chief executive officer, Larry Howai, fully endorsed Fr Harvey’s position and said the Bankers Association of TT continues to strive towards ethical conduct by all members of the local banking sector.

Howai added that while some banks have specific issues, he was confident that they were being dealt with.