Ethics : Dharma of Individual (Yoga Sutra)

 Ethics as virtue- 

it is collection of desirable action for sustaining society. [dying for group's belief ]

Ethics as utility-

it is collection of desirable action for sustaining society and more rudely exchanged in name of utility, often society can buy desirable action for society and tag it with ethics. [dying in poverty is ethical but to save life by robbery is not]

Ethics of universal rationality-

whatever action that can be universalized is ethical and others are not. collectively it again universalize social needs over individual {I am deficient here....}

Ethics of social contract-

here even an attempt to hide the social behavior and labeling it as ethics has been withdrawn [collective interest labeled as ethics]

In my limited understanding these alternatives, individuality is easily coerced by society. But these definitions are not capable to define anything at all. Many things now called Ethics are borrowed from religion. Mainly non-violence and etc. can be traced directly to Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. This text indicates that, a life worth living envisioned by Yoga Sutra is founded upon these Yama and Niyamas. Yamas are basically now Called Ethics. Foundation of any good/blissful life is Ethics. 

Source of locating Ethics to self-interest is Yoga Sutra (and Mahabharata too emphasize, Puranas too and other text but Yoga Sutra is too direct). Now, it is not coercion. It is a choice but difficult one, once one choose to live in Yamas, one struggle with oneself, one's inefficiency or animal instincts. 

How Yoga Sutra then trace Yamas as foundation of blissful life itself? Here, we must turn ourselves to Upanishad (and must to Vedas but I am not able to understand even Vedic words and I don't trust translations). We can get insight that it is not universalizing action for measurement, rather it is basic life which is founded equally and in one rule. Elements that can be found in nature and in human lives are same. they follow same rule in external to human environment and also in internal one. I don't want to run into the Aatma and Paratma etc. but at material level we are one kind of animal and our body follow one set of rules. Whatever our body feel is exactly felt by other body, hence harming other is equal to harming oneself. Also, Upanishad call it revolving around the one who architect it. Hence, the origin and manifestation of all is one. Even Buddha and followers of Vishnu, found its extreme version and don't eat at least meats. Why? it is the reality and realization of reality of one universal way of formation of life. Also, ethics is nothing virtuous to be rewarded by society for its stability rather it is the end towards which society should strive. This truth will automatically sustain that society and without coercion. Hence, it is matter of duty to self, but not to anybody else. There is no Right to anything at all as reward, xyz it will be another topic.