The starting point for philosophy is a lot of self-evident truths. You don't have to start with any particular one; you can start at any point and show relationships to other points. The truth is in the consistent relationships. It is impossible to make any significant relationships between falsehoods. Or more importantly, any falsehood is in conflict with all other points of truth.

(As a side point, I use this method of showing what truth is throughout this web site. I explain the relationships between basic realities. Only truth stands up to such a process, which is logic or reason. Conversely, corrupters refuse to explain contradictions or answer questions about them. They must use one-way communication to promote corruption.)

To derive a definition of morality the concept of justice is a good starting point. Morality and justice are synonyms, but justice is used in a broader or more secular manner.

I would define justice as the result that truth produces. Truth is extremely easy to define. It is a communicated representation of any reality which has consistent relationships to all other unified reality.

Truth has a power or force of its own which no own can defy, because it is the size of the universe, meaning all unified reality—spiritual and material. Examples of appearing to defy truth require a sheltered context including deniability.

But the significance of truth only applies where there is a significant commitment involved, which includes morality. Sin cannot exist in the light of truth.

The reason why no one can defy developed truth is because no one, not even satan, can admit their destructivity. Even satan pretends to have a value, as the demons refer to him as "the lord of knowledge" or "the lord of light" (Hostage to the Devil, by Malachi Martin).

The result that truth produces is justice, because truth defines life, and justice is that which sustains life. While other persons might want to use other definitions, the complex interactions always get back to those relationships.

Consider evil. No matter how destructive evil is, it must start with an exploitation of life, or it cannot exist. For existence to have any degree of complexity, it must have consistent relationships within it. Total chaos and disorder is sort of possible, in relative, not absolute, terms, which is approximately what hell is. In that state, it cannot influence anything else, which is what causes it to incapacitate evil.

Another truism is that whenever an injustice (or sin) is perpetrated a counterforce of truth develops and increases until the source of injustice is subdued. This occurs because truth increases automatically through all interactions of realities, and sin cannot exist in the light of truth.

Interactions generate truth, because consistent relationships reinforce each other and are strengthened, while inconsistent relationships contradict each other and are weakened. Consistent relationships are the essence of truth.

A very basic concept of justice is that people define what should be done to themselves by what they do to others. From this basis the age-old concept of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth developed. But Christ said not to do that. One reason is because an eye never replaces an eye. There is always vast amounts of "collateral" damage. Innocent people suffer.

But more basically, Christ was saying not to try to extract justice through force, when no one else's concerns are involved. Let justice result from the power of truth and God's influence. Then a person is not perpetrating additional injustices, and sin is being overcome instead of promoted.

The exception is when larger social realities are involved and further injustices must be prevented. Innocent people must be protected, and then something on the order of police action is necessary.

Developing truth is the moral and constructive method of producing justice. The only force involved is the power of truth. This method of proceeding allows a person to avoid the use of force.

Avoiding the use of force is morally imperative, because the use of force is the basis of sin. Force can only be defined as that which opposes or destroys realities. Since realities create and define life, the use of force is basically sin. Injustices always stem from the use of force. While some force must be used as police action to protect innocent persons, doing so is relying upon a lesser of evils, not a perfect form of justice.

If truth were relied upon more, force would be less necessary. But society swims in darkness on this subject. Wherever power is being used, darkness is assumed to be the convenient method of proceeding. Nowhere are such errors more prevalent than in religion. While secular standards evolve slightly forward, there has been no forward progress in replacing darkness with light in religious power structures. This includes the authoritarianism of Protestantism as well as the fortresses of Catholicism. Authorities let no one question their corruptions.

Another area where this problem is serious is the executive branch of the US government. Democracy left no lights shining in the dark holes of the bureaucracies. Only openness and accountability can produce truth as a basis for decisions, but it only exists where someone can impose it. There is no one to impose openness and accountability where authorities make decisions beyond some procedural impositions in the legislative and judicial areas.

The power of truth is demonstrated when television news magazines take their cameras out to the sources of social problems. Often decisions are made or laws are changed within days of such public exposure.

But then problems develop in two areas. One is determining the difference between truth and misrepresentation. With enough exposure and accountability, the truth salts out. The other problem is in drawing a line between validly developed truth on social issues and prying into personal realities which are no one's business. The reason why there is a difference is because it is impossible to properly represent the realities of someone else, when there is no vested interest or nothing to lose in the process.

Which gets into the subject of the opposite of producing truth or the corruption of the process. Looking at evil shows how it is done. Accusing and scandalizing are the terms for it. The accuser is one of the meanings for satan.

In producing truth, it is important to know how the process differs from accusing and scandalizing. Misrepresentation requires sheltered realities, like gossiping in the dark. But the ultimate sheltering of reality is to attack the personal realities of individuals, because the accusers have nothing to lose in the process.