The Pre-existing and Universal Code
Morality: A doctrine or system of moral conduct; particular moral
principles or rule of conduct.
To say that modern morality consists in accepting the standard of one's
age is to suggest that human morality changes with the passing of time. This
statement is just unacceptable. Morality is not something of a fad. It should
not go through trends like clothes or popular music, morality is the foundation
in which our society is embedded in, a foundation from which human values and
standards derive from. If we are to agree that these values and standards are
flexible within the boundaries of time, and that they contain within them no
ground rooted substructure in society, then there is no way in distinguishing
the difference between right and wrong. Morality is what identifies the
principles in which man exists, to seperate good from bad, and right from wrong,
and every society should strive to discover and achieve these principals.
Morality should not change over time even though cultures and social
stratifications do, what was morally right three thousand years ago is morally
right today and should be morally right three thousand years from now. Only
with universal principles can we as collective society discover what is right,
what is wrong, and what is best, therefore there exists not modern morality but
simply morality.
An empirical philosopher, W.T. Stace, argues that if we believe all
morals are culturally relative, it is impossible for us to judge what is best.
Although admitting he does not know what is best, he concludes that it is the
responsibility of man to discover what is. He does not dispute that moral
customs and moral ideas differ from country to country and from age to age, but
that the fact that one culture thinks something is right does not necessarily
make it right just as much as what we believe is wrong in our culture does not
necessarily mean it is wrong.
“The fact that the Greeks or the inhabitants of New Guinea think
something right does not make it right, even for them. Nor does the fact that
we think the same things wrong make them wrong. They are in themselves either
right or wrong. What we have to do is discover what they are.”1
The clashes in cultures between difference of morality does not mean
that morals are relative, all that it...
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... suggest that man is incapable (or perhaps too indolent) in finding the
truth. If we are to accept the vast differences in morals and ethics in the
world as a beneficial standard to society we then accept that there is no right
and wrong, and thus there is no action that is best, and no action that can be
justified. We must realize certain values and beliefs that are ignorant to
those commands of God. Part of man's mission is discovering the preexisting and
universal code that God intends for us to ascertain. This was the very reason
Jesus was sent to us almost 2000 years ago, and it will be the same reason for
his return, to help instill those morals, values, and principles. And when he
returns the moral standard he will preach will not change because of the passing
of time. He will preach the same code he did originally. A preexisting,
universal moral code that will serve as a foundation for man to build upon, a
foundation where all men and women, while still being able to maintain there
culture and identity, will be able to live by the same principles, and morals as
everyone else, a foundation where everyone knows what is right, what is wrong,
and what is best.
Culture often means an appreciation of the finer things in life; however, culture brings members of a society together. We have a sense of belonging because we share similar beliefs, values, and attitudes about what’s right and wrong. As a result, culture changes as people adapt to their surroundings. According to Bishop Donald, “let it begin with me and my children and grandchildren” (211). Among other things, culture influences what you eat; how you were raised and will raise your own children? If, when, and whom you will marry; how you make and spend money. Truth is culture is adaptive and always changing over time because
part of the moral code of our society; and the task of moral philosophy consists in bringing
First and foremost, the Greatest Happiness Principle focuses on two main ideas: one’s actions and their resulting utility. An individual is considered moral correct if their actions promote universal utility. However, the principle doesn’t simply require individuals to make any choice that promotes utility. A person is considered “morally correct” when and only when their decision promotes the most pleasure and minimizes the most pain.
For many years now, people have always wondered what ethical principle is the right one to follow. These individuals are all seeking the answer to the question that the ethical principles are trying to clarify: What defines moral behavior? The Divine Command Theory and the theories of cultural relativism are two principles of many out there that provide us with explanations on what our ethical decisions are based on and what we consider to be our moral compass in life. Even though these two theories make well-supported arguments on why they are the right principle to follow, it is hard to pinpoint which one should guide our choices because of the wide array of ethical systems. Therefore, what is morally right or wrong differs greatly depending
What is right and wrong? This question that has been asked throughout history all over the world that perplexes society even today. Many philosophers have attempted to answer this question, but it is hard to make out what the right answer would be or even if it can be answered. Who would be able to tell? That’s why we as individuals must make up our own minds on what is right or wrong. We can only hope to find our own moral path. Though it is up to us we can take a look at philosophers of the past to be a guiding hand at times.
As a cultural relativist, one would believe that morality is culturally bound. This is a subjective idea that believes “different societies have different moral codes” (Rachels,
Every individual is taught what is right and what is wrong from a young age. It becomes innate of people to know how to react in situations of killings, injuries, sicknesses, and more. Humans have naturally developed a sense of morality, the “beliefs about right and wrong actions and good and bad persons or character,” (Vaughn 123). There are general issues such as genocide, which is deemed immoral by all; however, there are other issues as simple as etiquette, which are seen as right by one culture, but wrong and offense by another. Thus, morals and ethics can vary among regions and cultures known as cultural relativism.
There is no connection between them, so they are never in conflict relative to their moral beliefs. However, within the context of Ethical Relativism, there’s a significant difference. Normally, two cultures will possess varying proportions of the same normal and abnormal habits, yet from a cross-cultural standpoint, what is abnormal in one culture can be seen as properly normal in another.... ... middle of paper ...
Every day we are confronted with questions of right and wrong. These questions can appear to be very simple (Is it always wrong to lie?), as well as very complicated (Is it ever right to go to war?). Ethics is the study of those questions and suggests various ways we might solve them. Here we will look at three traditional theories that have a long history and that provide a great deal of guidance in struggling with moral problems; we will also see that each theory has its own difficulties. Ethics can offer a great deal of insight into the issues of right and wrong; however, we will also discover that ethics generally won’t provide a simple solution on which everyone can agree (Mosser, 2013).
presents a clearer idea about what is held to be right or wrong; so, a
a set of universal morals would not be able to compensate for all the different
“Different cultures have different moral codes”, James Rachels discusses in his article Why Morality Is Not Relative? (Rachels, p. 160). A moral code is a set of rules that is considered to be the right behavior that may be accepted by a group of individuals within a society. Each culture tends to have their own individual standards and moral codes. Moral codes are guidelines laid out by a cultures ancestors. Standards are guidelines set forth by the individual themselves. Standards and morals don’t always have to be the same, but there are instances where they are. The moral codes claim what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Moral codes outline what behaviors individuals are supposed to make. These codes are basically laws, but specifically
The practices of many cultures are varied from one another, considering we live in a diverse environment. For example, some cultures may be viewed as similar in comparison while others may have significant differences. The concept of Cultural Relativism can be best viewed as our ideas, morals, and decisions being dependent on the individual itself and how we have been culturally influenced. This leads to many conflict in where it prompts us to believe there is no objectivity when it comes to morality. Some questions pertaining to Cultural Relativism may consists of, “Are there universal truths of morality?” “Can we judge
Our world is constantly changing and it requires a society that is well versed in understanding the problems deriving from culture differences and tolerance of one another’s beliefs and perceptions. We are dealing with systemic problems in education, economic, government, religion and culture differences.