When the word morality strikes, even before thinking about why a person does something "right" or tries their best to avoid indulging in doing something "wrong", a thought comes to mind. The thought of the concept of "good" and "bad", is followed by the daunting realization that those definitions are at the end of the day, subjective in nature.
In order to grasp a better understanding of the concept of morality, we must dive deeper into the conversation revolving around: What is Morality?
What is Morality?
Morality is a set of social rules and standards that guide the conduct of people in a culture.
According to professor Ralph Barton Perry, morality is one aspect of civilization or culture. The domain of morality is the area where interests are in conflict and there is an attempt to bring these conflicting interests into harmony.
These interests can be positive or negative based on our judgment of them.
Although defining morality gives a clear sense of what it is about, there lies an even fascinating question underneath the cloak of definitions. Why is Morality? Or to phrase it in a better way, why does morality exist, and how does it come into being?
In order to answer these questions or maybe understand them in a better light, we must learn that the concept of morality is a psychological one. It exists only in our minds. However, it is applied practically/physically because it is - i) a psychological value system more often than not backed by rationale. ii) accepted by society.
The importance of rationality is logical. However, it is crucial to dig deep into how and why society comes into the picture. Man is a social animal, but there was a time when he was not.
Before the complete evolution of Homo Sapiens, "Man" was an animal of the wild. Subject to 'the survival of the fittest and the law of nature, just like other species.
It is only after man developed (or somehow activated) consciousness, that the awareness and perception of self and surroundings (including everything we can possibly think about) kicked in. This opened the gateways to a miraculous amount of ability to explore and absorb information.
This understanding of self-played a huge role in developing moral characteristics in humans and challenged their way of thinking. (critical thinking about "right" and questioning the "wrong") It also enabled people to come together as a union to communicate, debate, and discuss social and ethical standards accepted by the majority to guide and shape the future of human civilization.
Even though the question of why morality exists can be discussed freely, the question of how it came into being or how humans became morally aware is still something far from reach owing to the lack of scientific advancements and historical information.
Types of Morality
Morality can be segregated into two:
A) Conventional/Customary Morality
The ultimate purpose of normative and analytic ethics is to enable us to arrive at a critical, reflective morality of our own.
An individual may blindly accept the moral code of their society, or he may come to reflect upon it and criticize, question it.
An individual who blindly accepts the moral standards created by society and lacks the ability to support their convictions by rational argument is said to be an individual following conventional or customary morality.
Owing to their inability to defend their own core beliefs they find themselves in a state of confusion and slowly descend towards a deep disillusionment about morality.
Dogmatic certainty leads to total skepticism which later leads to amoral life.
Thus, a person who begins by accepting moral beliefs blindly can end up denying all morality.
The process of moral growth is moving away from both complete dogmatism and complete skepticism, as they are not results of philosophical thought.
B) Reflective Morality
An individual who has the capacity to be open-minded about their moral beliefs, defending them by reasoned argument when they are shown to be false or unjustified is said to be following reflective morality.
The process of critical reflection may often lead a person to disagree with their society. In that case, it is their critical reflection, not their disagreement, that makes them an individualist.
Ethics is nothing but the most systematic and thorough endeavor to understand moral concepts and to justify moral norms. It deals with the most vital issues we shall ever confront in practical life, and it alone can provide an adequate foundation for the moral growth of the individual.
Conclusion
Morality is the force that drives us to distinguish our choices from good and bad, (most of the time) according to socially acceptable standards. Like any other abstract concept, morality can be studied or understood by scientific and philosophical exploration of the subject matter.
People exercise morality in the physical world by following conventional or reflective morality, which is generally influenced by society or critical thinking. Moral responsibility is a key aspect of ethics and drives home the message of taking accountability for one’s action.
The notion of moral responsibility can be tracked down to free will or causal determinism. Taking responsibility for one’s actions is in many ways the backbone of morality and ethics,
be it a result of freedom or divine foreknowledge/God’s plan. The idea of consequences (praise/blame) may seem ideal results to keep in mind while taking any decision, but the idea of humanity and just behavior should be the building blocks of decision-making.
Similarly, people shouldn't exercise morality just because they are told to do so by society or divine power, there must be a rational, reflective thought process behind shaping the core beliefs of an individual. In such a way only can society reach its positive potential.
Written By: Janshi
.jpeg)
0 Comments