An ethical will is a private document conveying values, beliefs, morals, and lessons to children or followers, often written by those in hospice care. It can be written, recorded, or spoken and is separate from legal wills. The tradition dates back to ancient times and can include true stories and parables.
An ethics will is a document designed to convey values, beliefs, morals, and lessons to someone’s children or followers. In a sense, an ethical will is like a last letter from the deceased, providing further advice and reflections on life. As a general rule, ethical wills are private and not intended for public consumption, although some have been publicized and even made famous.
The tradition of writing ethical wills appears to be ancient; examples can be found in the Bible, and numerous members of the Jewish community placed a high value on ethical wills throughout the Middle Ages. While the idea of creating an ethical will may have reached its zenith in medieval times, the tradition has endured, and today ethical wills take a variety of forms, and aren’t just for the religious.
Organizations that promote conscious dying often encourage their members to write ethical wills. Especially for people in hospice care, writing an ethical will can be an empowering act, ensuring that some memory lives on even after the patient’s death. For young patients, especially young parents, an ethical will can also help the patient cope with impending death, creating a legacy that will be cherished by friends and family.
Ethics wills do not have to be written. For example, people may request that people gather around the deathbed or make time to visit the future deceased to talk. An ethics will can also be recorded on video or tape, with a request to reproduce the recording after death. As a general rule, ethical wills are separate from legal wills, as they do not require the expertise of a lawyer, although people may choose to give their ethical wills to their lawyers to be read along with the last will and testament.
An ethical will can be written and revised at any time, and some people find that creating an ethical will helps them think about their own values and hopes for the people around them. Because ethical wills are designed to be read after death, they are usually very frank and honest, and sometimes the content can be shocking, even though it need not be.
In some families, ethical wills can be passed down from generation to generation, creating an ancestral legacy that unites family values. These ethical wills can include true stories, parables, and other forms of wisdom to reflect upon after the death of a loved one.
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