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Dodge
May 17, 04 - 11:02 AM |
Morality
“Morality” is an unusual word. It is not used very much, at least not without some qualification. People do sometimes talk about “Christian morality,” “Nazi morality,” or about “the morality of the Greeks,” but they seldom talk simply about morality all by itself. Anthropologists used to claim that morality, like law, applied only within a society. They claimed that “morality” referred to that code of conduct that is put forward by a society. This account seems to fit best those societies that have no written language, where often no distinctions are made among morality, etiquette, law, and religion. But even for anthropologists “morality” does not often mean simply “code of conduct put forward by a society.” Often, morality is distinguished from etiquette, law, and religion, all of which provide codes of conduct put forward by a society. Etiquette is sometimes included as a part of morality, but it applies to behavior that is considered less serious than the kinds of actions to which morality usually applies. Law is distinguished from morality by having explicit rules, penalties, and officials who interpret the laws and apply the penalties, but there is often considerable overlap in the conduct governed by morality and that governed by law. Religion differs from morality in that it includes stories, usually about supernatural beings, that are used to explain or justify the behavior that it requires. Although there is often a considerable overlap in the conduct required by religion and that required by morality, morality provides only a guide to conduct, whereas religion always contains more than this. When “morality” is used simply to refer to a code of conduct put forward by a society, whether or not it is distinguished from etiquette, law, and religion, then it is being used in a completely descriptive sense. When “morality” is used in this descriptive way, moralities can differ from each other in their content and in the foundation that members of the society claim their morality to have. A society might have a morality that is primarily concerned with practices not related to other persons, e.g., which days must be devoted to certain rituals, and might claim that their morality, which is concerned primarily with ritual, is based on the commands of God. Or a society might have a morality that is concerned primarily with sexual practices, and claim that their morality, which has this concern, is based on human nature. Or a society might regard morality as being concerned primarily with practices that minimize the harms that people suffer and claim that their morality, which has this concern, is based on reason. Many societies have moralities that are concerned with all of the above and that are claimed to have all three of the above foundations. But, in this sense of “morality,” regardless of its content, or the justification that those who accept the morality claim for it, the only universal features that all moralities have is that they are put forward by a society and they provide a guide for the behavior of the people in that society. In this sense of “morality,” morality might allow slavery or might allow some people with one skin color to behave in ways that those with a different skin color are not allowed to behave. In this sense of “morality,” it is not even essential that morality incorporate impartiality with regard to all moral agents, those people whose behavior is subject to moral judgments, or that it be universalizable in any significant way. Sorry for the length here, but any comments at all about what morality is to you? Warmest Light. |
Blossom
 May 18th, 2004 - 1:25 PM |
Re: Morality
I had to read your post a couple of times to try to understand it, although my tired mind does not get the whole meaning, I will try to give you the lo-down of what morals are to me. First I looked up the definition of morals and morality and this is what I got: of or related to principles of right and wrong 2: conforming to a standard fo right behavior; etc.etc.. syn: virtuous, righteous, noble, ethical and principled. Morality being: moral conduct: virtue.. As you have stated, every tribe, community, society...east, south, north, west...have their sets of rules and regulations. For some countries, having women wear masks over their faces is quite alright, here in the western world..it's an outrage...to some. It is difficult for me to respect some of these 'traditions' or 'customs' to be morally right because I tend to see the oppression of women in some parts of the world.. Yet to these women it is o.k. and they are totally comfortable with that... So.. this brings me to the question I had stated in the other thread, what makes an 'act' right or wrong...? Is it the intention? The tradition? The value of it? Living up to our moral standard's as human beings, to me, does not come without a set of values... Values are passed down from generation to generation..some are lost, some are added and I think some are quite personal. For example, society today values mom's going to work. Staying home, in my community is a rarity, and to some I am considered lazy and living off society... However, I have strong family values. I believe that one parent should be home raising the child for at least the first 3 to 5 years of life. I do not see the point of having children if one is to put their children in daycare from the age of 6months, from 6 am to 6 pm. Yet, then, who am I to say that people who do go out to work and leave their kids are wrong? Is it wrong? Well to me it is if and only if one is doing it against their will (i.e. spouse is making the mom work, society's pressure is making the mom feeling guilty thus she works, etc.) So what I am trying to say is that yes, society has a set of morals that should be followed to an extent, yet I cannot help but not always want to conform to what society wants for me... Would non-conforming give me the right to kill someone? No. Because its not in me, and it is against God's will... Does that make any sense at all?... Blessings of light and warmth.. Blossom |
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Dodge
May 18th, 2004 - 3:01 PM |
Re: Re: Morality
Custom, Culture & Rationale have alot to do with our morals. What if we lived on another planet, would we still have these so-called morals? or would there be another set to follow? If morals comes from another place outside ourselves, then I would think no matter where you went in the universe, the standard would be the same. However, if aliens came here, would they uphold ours? Do you get what I'm saying? If others from somewhere outside our galaxy dropped in on us, what would prompt them to adhere to our code of ethics? Obviously they wouldn't know what they were. Somehow I can't imagine a polite alien. If there was, then that means our morals within a society derive from the same place. The question would be then: Where do our morals come from? Something to think about. 
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Blossom
May 18th, 2004 - 4:22 PM |
Re: Morality
"Custom, Culture & Rationale have alot to do with our morals. What if we lived on another planet, would we still have these so-called morals? or would there be another set to follow? If morals comes from another place outside ourselves, then I would think no matter where you went in the universe, the standard would be the same. However, if aliens came here, would they uphold ours? Do you get what I'm saying?" I understand what you are saying now... Well if I went to China, I would have to learn their customs, beliefs and culture. If I was an alien coming down...I guess I would be curious to know how the people on earth live. If I was a stranded alien, I also guess I would learn to live like earthlings, yet keep my rituals and customs of home... Immegrants have come to Canada and changed their lifestyle to 'fit in'.. I guess its all about wanting to conform or not.. "If others from somewhere outside our galaxy dropped in on us, what would prompt them to adhere to our code of ethics? Obviously they wouldn't know what they were. Somehow I can't imagine a polite alien. If there was, then that means our morals within a society derive from the same place. The question would be then: Where do our morals come from?" I guess they are passed down from generation to generation... Yet I cannot help but think that some of our morals derive from our instinct.. Our spirit knows...how it feels when it does something inhenrently good...because our spirit feels good... Maybe, morality, is a balance between nature and nurture... 
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Dodge
May 18th, 2004 - 5:08 PM |
Re: Re: Morality
"I guess they are passed down from generation to generation... Yet I cannot help but think that some of our morals derive from our instinct.. Our spirit knows...how it feels when it does something inhenrently good...because our spirit feels good... Maybe, morality, is a balance between nature and nurture..." Ah but there's the rub. How would our spirit know what is good or bad if it didn't come from somewhere? It can't come from generation to generation if it didn't exist. So where would morals come from? Somehow it had to get planted in us from somewhere, so again, where did it come from? |
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Blossom
May 18th, 2004 - 9:00 PM |
Re: Morality
Well since so far we are the only two discussing this issue... If you are asking me.. then I think they come from God. I believe we were a spirit in heaven before being incarnated into our bodies. I believe we chose our parents, and this life that we are living now...so basically we are here to remember, and remember the morals and values we once knew in a previous life... 
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Dodge
May 19th, 2004 - 1:22 AM |
Re: Re: Morality
Hmm...interesting. God definitely put eternity in our hearts. He is a moral God. Therefore morals were put in place by Him.(so you were right) We did not. And if God put morals into play then Culture corrupted it. That's my take on it anyways. |
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