Morality and Its Meaning

Speech On Morality And Morality
Morality refers to the concept of proper human action in terms of "right and wrong," also referred to as "good and evil. According to Hobbes
(1994:11), morality is simply a declaration of rules and beliefs that are considered absolute guides for human behaviour. According to Hare (1981:27), "
Morality is a system of principles and judgments based on cultural, religious, and philosophical concepts and beliefs, by which humans determine
whether given actions, are right or wrong." Moral values and graciousness, in the past, were prominent in most teenagers. Every individual has capacity
for growth. But a seed cannot grow without nurturing. And farmers don't get to neglect their crops. So moral values has to be inculcated from infancy.
Many years...show more content...
Pre–school children seem to be most vulnerable to the effect of divorce and adolescents the least.
In most modern industrialized countries, the proportion of working mothers with children under 18 greatly increased in the last few decades of the
20th century, to the point that one–half of all mothers with children under 5 are in the workforce.
3.Cause biggest, chief, clear, fundamental PEER PRESSURE: Sometime, the child comes to rely heavily on the peer group for support and guidance
during a time when parental nagging about the child's declining morality begins to be more pronounced. The children of permissive parents often fall
victim of peer pressure and since perhaps only others experiencing the same transition can be relied upon to understand what that experience
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Reflection Paper On Morality
Each day, with the new experiences and challenges a new day brings, we may find ourselves facing the trials of what morality truly means to us. A
few months ago, if you had asked me to tell you what my morals were and how I would interpret the term morality, I would have just told you my
whole life story. I used to think my life and the experiences I have had were the only things that formed my views on moral law and what I believe is
the right way to treat the people around you. Now, since I've participated in this class, my opinions on morality are not only shaped just by my
surroundings and my life experiences, but they are also shaped by the nations and cultures that surround me today and the exposure to diversity that
they have provided me through business and culture. In order to form a developed opinion on the definition of morality, we can look at the word
diversity. This is a word that has means different things to different people. Personally, it is a word that I believe has a large impact on our world.
Diversity is not only a lot of different cultures and backgrounds in one place at the same time, but also how these different cultures and individuals
interact with each other throughout the world. This idea can be compared to a friendship between two people and the support and acceptance they
may have of each other's sociocultural differences.The biggest thing I took away from this class was from one specific discussion we had on whether
or not it is our moral

Ethics and Morality Essay
Ethics and Morality
Is it immoral for a person to write lies on his/her resume? This question poses many questions in it's self. How fictitious is the lie, what are you
lying about, what could be the consequences of this lie and whom and how will this lie affect the people involved? How would John Stuart Mill
answer this question? Mill's general position seem to be that one should do what will produce the most happiness, pleasure and with the absence of
pain. With this in mind for one to falsify their resume will produce the greater happiness to that person, and family. If this means to exaggerate the
truth a little so be it. I feel Mill's view would be to exaggerate, but not to over exaggerate so that when you do get the job you...show more content...
This he felt is how most live. According to Mill morality is about producing good consequences, not having good intentions, we should do what ever
will bring the most benefit to all humanity. Also that our conduct is right or wrong because of the propensity to produce good or bad consequences
for the people whom are affected by it. Mill's moral philosophy was a version of the utilitarian theory. In witch he believed that righteous actions are
those actions that produce the greatest happiness to the largest number of people, following from his Principal of Utility. Since Mill believes that it is
not the intention of an action and it is the ability for the action to produce favorable consequences. It follows that for some one to exaggerate on their
resume is morally ok. As with Mills Principal of utility, witch is saying if the action produces the greatest amount of happiness to the most people with
the least amount of pain that to is morally ok when compared with the utilitarian theory. It seems to that Mill is trying to say that if more than
one–person benefits from what might be considered an immoral action, also that the least amount of pain is cause then that action can be consider
morally ok as long as the consequences of that

What is Morality? Essay
What is Morality?
Philosophers around the world have debated the meaning of morality for centuries. However, it is a word too subjective to be either denoted or
defined. Aristotle, often referred to as the father of philosophy, advised that one could determine what is moral by examining the mean between two
"less desirable" extremes. For example, courage is a mean between fear and thoughtless rashness; generosity, between extravagance and parsimony.
Plato argued that "to know the good is to do the good." In other words, those who behave immorally due so out of mere ignorance, not defiance.
Furthermore, Plato believed that a moral person is a truly happy person; and because people always desire their own happiness, they always...show more
content...
This reward system trains us to believe that what is legal is moral. Although a person may be a law–abiding citizen, he or she may not necessarily be
moral.
The morality of an individual is also based on his or her childhood. Parents have an immense effect on their children's values. For instance, if parents
teach their child at early ages to be a hard–worker, to be honest and true, and to have integrity, then it is likely that the child will grow up with these
morals instilled within them. However, some children grow to be the antithesis of their parents. They see that their parents are immoral and so they
intentionally grow to think and behave differently. If so, is the child immoral for defying his or her parents, or is the child moral for defying his or her
immoral parents?
Another factor in determining one's morals is one's religiosity. For instance, some religions, such as Hinduism, believe in animal sacrifices as a way of
worshiping; however, other religions, such as Catholicism, do not. Thus, to a Catholic, the sacrifice of innocent animals may seem immoral whereas
followers of the Hindu religion view the practice as sacred. Therefore, one cannot conclude that simply because a person is religious, he or she is also
moral. There are thousands of religions throughout the world; who has the authority to determine whose

Morality is an important component of a human being because it helps shape the ethical foundation that every human being has. Whether to be good,
evil, honest, or deceitful are just some of the traits morality helps us develop. Thus, it is evident that morality is a crucial component of a human being.
However, what ultimately drives moral action? This question is debated and investigated against many philosophers, a few of them being Thomas
Hobbes, Frans de Waal, and David Hume.
Hobbes believes that in the state of nature, humans have no laws, morals, police force, property, government, culture, knowledge, or durable
infrastructure. Within this state of nature, people have no morals and do as they please without any consequence. As...show more content...
Both are powerful forces that contribute to morality. However, Hume concludes that it is the sentiment, feeling, or pleasure that human beings feel that
ultimately shape their morality.
Both Hume and Hobbes have opposing views regarding whether or not humans are naturally moral. Hume believes that humans are naturally moral.
According to Hume, humans derive their morality through sentiments or feelings that help shape behavior and action. Hobbes, however, believes that
humans are selfish individuals and in turn do not have moral values. This is described as the state of nature. He further believes that humans do not
have a unified moral code or system and must thus find a higher power that would help shape their behavior. Such a power, Hobbes argues, should be
the government as it develops laws that all humans must abide by. Hobbes describes this as common wealth.
Frans de Waal begins his argument by first stating the question as to whether or not a human's moral actions originated from the psychological and
behavioral nature of our evolutionary ancestors. He concludes this thought by saying that our moral actions do, in fact, originate from the
psychological and behavioral nature of our evolutionary ancestors. De Waal further argues that the foundations of human morals are found in the
primates of today. They are composed of actions and emotions whose evolutionary role assists us in our social organization and unity. In the beginning
pages of his book, De Waal

Essay on Morality is Universal
Morality is Universal Throughout history, humankind has looked back to the past, to seek the truth about morals, religion, and how they both impact
and define civilization. Stories and myths from ancient Greece show overbearing resemblance to our own Bible as both shun the many temptations of
our soul either by teaching the value of a characteristic or warning of the "ill fruits reaped". Dante Alighieri revealed in his Divine Comedy that
"Pride, Envy, and Avarice are the three sparks, [the three universal deadly sins] that have set these hearts on fire" (Bartlett 80). This statement is quite
true for these three enticements have existed evidently in belief systems and moral codes since the creation of fire. One of the most obvious...show more
content...
Defying his brother, father, and family for the sake of avarice, Jacob used trickery to deceive his father and steal the inheritance (Genesis 25:13). In
this instance, Jacob's theft and departure results in a family torn to pieces. This lesson of greed turned disaster is a valued one that today's society
must incorporate in order to reach a higher level of being. Unfortunately, pleasant epithets such as "acquisitiveness" and "determined" that are viewed
in the business world as favorable mask this foul character trait in our present culture. Today, there are no gods and goddesses to openly and
immediately prosecute the cupidity and so this character trait spreads like wild fire from one cut–throat to the next. Instead, the greedy realize their
blunder only at death when they fall from the glorious gates of Heaven to fiery depths of Hell, where they can covet only fire from their neighbor.
Mythological and biblical text most often target arrogance of all moral lessons. The Bible clearly warns, "Pride goes before destruction, and a
haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18). One of the many myths in Grecian time that cautions the vile effects of hubris is the folk–tale of Arachne
(Switzer 25). Arachne was so skilled in the art of weaving that observers came from miles around to watch her enchanting motions on the spinner
produce such magnificent tapestries. Over time, the girl's

Morality Essay
Morality
Is morality relative? Ruth Benedict and James Rachels have opposing views on this conroversial question. Benedict, "a foremost American
anthropologist who taught at Columbia University" (Pojman 370) believes that morality is relative to one's culture and that one's behavior which is
deemed moral or immoral is dependent upon cultural norms. Her argument is as such: 1. Different cultures have radically different moral codes 2.
There are no objective moral principles i.e. all moral principles are culturally relative
Rachels, "a professor at the University of Alabama" (Pojman 375) disagrees with Benedict and believes that morality is not relative. Furthermore he
holds Benedicts "Cultural differences argument" to be...show more content...
For instance, some African tribes are known to sew a woman's vagina closed when she is young to prevent her from being able to have intercourse
before she is married.; If she is not sytill sewn shut on her wedding night, she is cast out and considered a filthy whore. To our culture, this seem
entirely too drastic, but to those tribes, this is a ritual that has been practiced throughout their history and is considered a rite of passage when a
girl reaches puberty. Benedicts also gives an example to further prove her point that morality and or normality is culturally relative. She gives the
example of a man in a Melanesian society who was referred to as "silly and simple and definitely crfazy" because he liked to share and to help
people and do nice things for them. In the United States , these are virtuous qualities. If you are stingy and not helpful you are looked down upon, but
in this contrasting society, to share and be helpful is so disgraceful that one is ridiculed for possessing thaose traits or even condemned for them. One
who believes that morality is relative could give further example of traits that are despised in one culture but admired in a different culture. History and
evolution provide codes of what is accepted in a culture, things such as sorcery, homosexuality, polygamy, male dominance, euthanasia, these things are
completely dependant upon its society to

Law And Morality Essay
Law and Morality
It is not an everyday occurrence that someone must decide the fate of another's life. The dilemma of making a decision that someone must die in
order for the others to survive, can obviously be troubling. The process in which the termination of one's life may be easy to make, but to justify that
decision is the most difficult one. This paper is given a situation in which a decision of taking one's life is essential. The situation is that a nuclear war
has occurred, which has destroyed most of the centres of civilization. There are five people that are that have escaped death by finding their way to a
nuclear bunker. These five people consist of a pregnant woman; an old man, who is a retired judge; two teenagers – a...show more content...
Law and morality play a large role here, mainly because there is a legal issue and a moral issue associated with the predicament. The reason law has
a part in the situation is that after the decision is made, it will be examined legally and must be accountable for its consequences. Morality has its
place too, because many will find it morally wrong to take one's life despite any justification. ....there is some connection between law and morality,
but the two are clearly not identical. First, morality is only concerned with right or wrong, with the good and evil; law is concerned with lots of things
on which there is no right and wrong – procedures for land registration, incorporation and so on.
Second, morality is to some extent uncertain and a matter for each individual, law tries to be objective, written down in black and white and there for
all to see. Third, morality often leaves things vague and subject to general principle, law goes into specifics.1
From that description of law and morality, it is obvious how they relate to the issue here. When the time comes for one of the five people in the bunker
eventually to die, it must be legally justified. The reason for this is that murder is illegal, unless legally justified.2 On the other hand, reasons

Morals Vs. Ethics : Morals And Ethics Essay
Morals vs. Ethics
Morals and ethics are often thought of as interchangeable terms, and both can be applied in various situations. Morals are ultimately the "groundwork"
for ethics. However, the two nouns have a distinct meaning.
Morals are internal principles that a person focuses upon when deciding between right or wrong conduct. A person's true character can be revealed by
understanding that said person's morals. Ethics are a set of rules or rules of conduct that a person follows due to social or company standards. For
example, stealing money from your workplace would be considered unethical, and disrespecting your coworkers would be immoral. In addition, both
morals and ethics could be applied in both situations.
Another way to explain the difference between the two nouns is to discuss the alleged origins of both morals and ethics. Morality first came about in
the Latin language. It is derived from the word "mos", meaning custom. On the other hand, ethics is derived from the Greek word "ethos", meaning
character. As I said before, both morals and ethics have similar terminology, but each have a separate description.
Morals and Ethics in Business When dealing with contracts, each party has a duty to fulfill one's contractual obligations effectively and on time. Each
party must exchange must exchange something of value, whether it's money, services, or a product. While morals and ethics aren't exactly terms that
come to mind when thinking of value, they both have a

What Is Morality?
Morality involves the knowledge between good and bad and right and wrong. Good and bad refers to the positive and negative effects the actions
have on people and what effect it has on us. Morality is purely internal and is based upon what you believe and also the arguments you have as to
whether or not something is good or bad. Morals differ between cultures, dependant on different situations and beliefs. For example abortion; if a
woman believes that it will benefit her life and that it would be wrong of her to bring a child into a world that she could not support, and then her
personal morals think that it is right. Morality, though it is the knowledge between right and wrong, has no straight answer; it is personal morals that
make up what...show more content...
Many values and beliefs have changed as have society's views on pregnancies. When questioning people about their own personal views on
contraception and birth control, I received a range of different opinions. Here are some of the many different responses I got when questioning a range
of people.
пѓ "Contraception is a good way to make sure you don't become pregnant, people now–a–days use contraception all the time and don't even think
about the church or the church's teaching. I think contraception is okay."
пѓ "Contraception is perfectly okay because it stops babies being brought up in a poor family if the parents can't support them. Unplanned pregnancies
happen all over the world to too many people so I think contraception should be spoken about more widely and not be such a touchy subject."
пѓ "Birth control stops reproduction of the human race and should be banned, if someone wants to have sex then they should know the consequences
of their actions, I think we should go back to the church views and have sex as an act between a married couple, because they are capable of having a

Essay about Morality
Morality
Moral philosophy is very important to the success of an individual. But, before I tell you why moral philosophy is so important, and how it has
helped me in my life, let me give you a little background knowledge. Rational knowledge has two components. These components are material and
formal. Formal knowledge is not object oriented, and is based on reason. Formal knowledge is logic, or the laws of thought. Material knowledge is
object oriented, and has two components. These two components are natural and moral. Natural law is physics.
It determines what is the case, and how things behave in nature. On the other hand, moral law determines what things ought to be. Morality is
something humans think about, and is...show more content...
So, to answer your question, I care. And for that matter, I bet if you were involved in this situation, you would care.
Now I want to tell you an obvious reason why you should care. This may be so obvious that you overlooked it. Many of our nations laws are based on
moral issues. For instance, you can't hurt another human; you can't steal from another human; and you can't kill another human being. Now, you may
say, "I already know this!" But, if everybody knew this, would we need jails? Let me ask you a question. How successful can you be in jail? My
point with this question is to get you to realize that you can't be successful in jail.
Nobody grows up saying that they can't wait to go to jail because they know that it is the place to be. Nobody says that if they could just get in jail
they know that they could be the best prisoner, and could have the biggest cell. This may be taking immorality to an extreme, but it happens. An
immoral life could send a person to jail. I can tell you some of the consequences of an immoral life, but I can't make you be moral. Morality is not
imposed upon you by society. Morality is self imposed; it is something in us, and defines what constitutes a human being.
I am sure that many of you have participated in team sports. Now even if you have a good game, maybe you scored all of the points, and the team

Morality, Moral, And Moral Decisions Essay
If there is one characteristic that distinguishes human civilization from any other organized species, then morality is definitely a favored candidate. In
English the words "beastly" or "brutal" are used to describe the cruelest form of moral perversity; in Chinese the phrase "birds and beast" refers to
people who committed appalling atrocities. Our propensity to view morality as the discriminating trait of human being overrides cultural and
geographical barriers. For some people, this phenomenon serves as the evidence for the idea that morality arises out of, and should be explained by
our ability for rational reasoning–a uniquely human faculty.
Different schools of philosophy identify different elements behind the reasoning process that governs moral decisions–for utilitarianism those are net
gain or loss of human welfare, and for Kantianism the only governing principle should be pure reason. However they all seem to harbor the same
imperfection: seldom any metaphysical explanations for morality accurately capture our typical mental process behind a moral decision. While
quotidian life is rife with moral decisions, neither careful evaluations of gain or loss in human welfare nor deliberate consideration of logical
consistency came up to one's mind on a daily basis. Moral psychologist took a different path: instead of constructing a logically coherent theory of ethics
and reaching moral guidelines through deduction, they acknowledge the existence of certain basic moral

A Basis for Morality Essay
A Basis for Morality
In humanity's quest to distinguish itself from the rest of the animal world, a claim to morality has long been one of its greatest arguments. Perhaps
second only to reason as a distinguishing characteristic, the ability to exhibit moral behavior instills in humans a distinct sense of natural order. Yet
when anthropocentric egoism is dropped and we recognize that we are not, in fact, much different from other animals, our distinctive moral behavior
begs explanation. What compels the majority of humans to behave morally? Why do some not? How should we respond to behaviors that are either
immoral or amoral? Do we possess an innate sense of morality, determined by our neurobiology? Or to put it another (more...show more content...
While specifics of morality vary across cultures, and often across individuals, some basic trends appear universally. Benevolence, fairness, and honesty
– in short, those traits that make a social existence possible – are consistently named when people in many different cultures are asked to describe
moral behavior (1). This is the first cause to think that a basic morality may be innate in humans and not merely a product of cultural education,
although it is not in itself proof of that possibility. With this evidence, it is just as reasonable to hypothesize that the basic similarities in social
structure are sufficient to give rise to similarities in acceptable behavior as it is to hypothesize that ideas of acceptable behavior are innate.
The original source of morality aside for the moment, we can effectively consider the cause of moral behavior in individuals. Psychological literature
tends to focus on the emotional basis of morality. One of the most important affects in determining moral behavior is empathy, an emotional response
triggered by the apprehension of another's emotional state and characterized by having feelings similar to what the other is feeling (2). This ability to
perceive another individual's emotions is crucial to our ability to make moral decisions – that is, to make decisions that positively influence others. The

Morality of Today Essay
Olympian morality was potent in ancient Greek society yet it is incomplete by today's moral standards of what is acceptable. Modern morality is not
only taught through actions, stories or experiences however constructed by the feelings within. In both, The Iliad and the Hesiod, external actions are
the most important however, without logos, a look into the soul no decisions are made by choice. Eris, the force of pulling apart and Eros, the force of
pushing together were vital pieces in the aspect of morality through traditional Greek society. Ancient morality combined with natural science and
logos creates a balance that allows for perfect moral structure. Olympian morality was built upon the aspect that the Gods determined human existence
...show more content...
Socrates believed that justice and desire could not be determined without reason and logic (Reno). Going along with Socrates ideas, Eris and Eros
can be confined in the soul but the structure of Olympian morality will never be destroyed. Destroying Eris would also destroy Eros and not only
would no bad exist, but nothing good would exist either. Therefore the Sophist's mentality could never become the mentality in which society is driven
by. If all good and bad were removed from society there would be nothing to fuel desires, hopes, dreams, hardships or emotions. Preluding to the Trojan
War, Helen is always property. Never once is choice an option of Helens. She is given as a prize, a trophy, to the one who will triumph over the
other (Homer). No one considered asking Helen what she truly desired; therefore to settle the issue, men were killed in warfare to come to a
conclusion that should have been determined by choice. Women were not deemed important figures in ancient society and men ruled the world in
which they lived. Until Socratic ideals, one can say that women were only the property of men. Socrates tried to explore the world of femininity and
discover the soul; he was killed for believing that there is more to an individual then what the divine interprets (Plato's Apology). Unlike ancient times,
a war of nations would not break out over a romantic conflict because women and men can choose whom they love. Logic has allowed modern

Morality And Empathy
Understanding morality and empathy exhibited in a population may grant a great insight into its dynamic. However, surveys may be susceptible to
bias; a more accurate method may be by assessing one's morality and empathy through one's unconscious behaviors. In the peer–reviewed, Emotion
article "The Empathy Impulse A Multinomial Model of Intentional and Unintentional Empathy for Pain," researchers from Pennsylvania State
University and the University of Iowa experimented to see how the conscious and unconscious aspects of empathy for pain contribute to the process of
identifying pain in others. Subsequently, Cameron, one of the researchers, summarized his findings in the Time article "How Science Can Tell Whether
You're a Good Person." Then,...show more content...
Both started out with an introduction, followed by the experimental description and the conclusion. The introductions both laid the groundwork with
definitions. The section "A new measure of empathy," coming after the introduction in the Time piece, is the equivalence of the "Method," "Result,"
and "Individual Difference Analyses" in the Emotion paper. Both concluded with either "Where do we go from here?" or "General Discussion,"
detailing the application of the findings. Furthermore, Cameron provided very concise description when discussing the experimental images to prevent
the readers from misinterpreting the tasks. In Time: "The images depict hands being pierced with needles or brushed with Q–tips, which are
implements that are considered respectively painful and nonpainful by most people." Similarly, in Emotion: "Prime and target stimuli were images of
hands being pierced with a needle or brushed with a Q–tip, which are consensually judged as painful and nonpainful,

Morality As Good Or Bad? Essay
MORALITY
(MORALITY)
"He makes the point that we judge particular acts as good or bad and that we say things like, "He ought to have done this or he ought to have done
that." How can these be unless there was a supreme morality that we could compare our actions and thoughts against?"
– C.W. Lewis, Author of "Mere Christianity"–
The definition of morality is, best described as, "beliefs about what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior. The degree to which something is
right and good. The moral goodness or badness of something", according to Merriam–Webster Dictionary. An article from, Pursing the Truth Ministries,
(http://www.pursuingthetruth.org/sermons/files/conscienceAndMorality.htm), it says,
"Morality can be broken down into three different areas, Individual morality, Systems of principles and judgments (moral values) shared within a
cultural, religious, secular, humanist or philosophical community and Codes of behavior or conduct derived from the moral code."
Our moral values are derive by the culture that we live in. For example, our surrounding environment that we choose to surround ourselves with like our
religion, our peers, and our towns we live in. We achieve our moral values through our personal experiences, which can be seen through peer pressure,
conscience, our beliefs and by the law that we set for ourselves.
The Bible talks about morality and as Christians how we are to live by the principles set forth. In (Mark 7:20–23) NIV, "What comes out

My View Of Human Morality Essay
My view of human morality is that it is influenced by individual culture and experience. Because I believe that as human beings, we all have our
own values, beliefs and attitudes that we develop throughout the course of our lives and contribute to our own sense of reality of ourselves and the
society. Regardless of what will influence and mold us throughout our lives, we have the rationality inclined to know between what is right and
wrong so that we will do good as we want others to do so. We are exposed to cultural values from many sources: family, peers, education, authorities,
and religion. Because we spend most of our formative years with family, the values of the family whether good or bad, are a powerful influence.
These are a reflection of an individual character and culture. We are born into a world of values that have existed throughout humanity 's history. We
absorb these values as children while we navigate our social environment, processing and reevaluating them throughout our adult lives. Every
individual understands that life is important hence he or she needs moral values, which act as guiding principles. Our values form the foundation of
our lives. They dictate the choices we make and determine the direction that our life takes. Our values will influence our decisions related to our
relationships, career, and other activities we engage in. The world we lived is complicated that there exist no universal morality and absolute freedom
and since our morals are

Is Morality Subjective or Objective?
Morality must be objectively derived because (1) the concepts of good and morality exist; (2) cultures differ regarding certain moral actions, thus
there is the need to discover which is right but cultures are similar regarding the existence of and need for morality; (3) relativism is not logical and
does not work, (4) for moral principles to be legitimate and consistent, they must be derived external to human societies. Otherwise morality is merely
one person's choice or feeling, not an understanding of truth; and (5) the existence of religion. People recognize a moral aspect to the worship of
deity; even if the deity does not exist, we still perceive a need for morality to be decreed by Someone...show more content...
One culture may value theft, as in some of the American Indian tribes of the plains, particularly against enemies. Such action showed bravery and skill
in battle. Another culture might abhor the idea that one person should be allowed to steal from another, and the value here is the sanctity of private
property, as in the Western industrial countries. When differences occur, the question arises as to what moral idea produces the right action.
Somewhere in the history of human cultural interaction, these two values will collide. They can not both be right. What is the truly moral idea? Hence
there is a need for an objective criterion, again one that transcends either culture, rather than simply be a preference of one culture over another.
Human cultures do tend to agree about some moral ideas, such as murder of one's own people, cruelty (except against enemies), rape, and other
violent actions which force one person's will upon another. The fact that there is agreement seems to indicate a common source of moral conscience,
a standard to which all humans attempt to adhere. C.S. Lewis called this idea the "Moral Law" or a natural law of morality [1], an idea similar to
Immanuel Kant's "Law of Nature" idea. Kant grounds his concept in an a priori purely practical human reason, which Lewis identifies in the imago Dei
within human nature. Kant's categorical imperative insists that morality is based on valid impersonal principles, in the intrinsic worth of right itself,
upon

Morality Essay examples
Morality is defined as a system or code that we humans use to differentiate between right and wrong. This system could be derived from a number of
factors: religion, culture, and upbringing. It is difficult enough to determine what an individual's morals are, but going further to determine how we
came to possess those morals is even more ambitious. Still, regardless of its difficulty, this subject consumes many philosophers and psychologists. One
such moral psychologists, Jonathan Haidt, is theorizing the possibility of evolution causing ones morality. Haidt is a moral psychologist at the
Universtiy of Virgina further believes that complex social structures such as religion and politics as well as our need for social structures affect...show
more content...
One is the ancient system, a system that developed before humans could speak. This system drives our emotions. It is with this system that humans
received their instinctual reactions to specific situations; it is these sorts of "gut reactions" that enabled human survival in ancient times. The other is a
modern system, a system that initiated when language was invented. This system, he explains, is more associated with our ability to reason and judge.
This system allows us to question our instinctual reactions and determine some explanation as to why we feel a particular way. However, he feels that
these two complex systems are subconsciously active within the individual; he does not believe that people are aware of these concepts affecting their
morality. These two systems are the key or answer to why moral dumbfounding occurs. It occurs when the two systems conflictВ—when reasoning
cannot explain your initial reaction. Furthermore, Haidt believes that emotions are linked more to one's subconscious, while reasoning is linked to
one's consciousness. He believes most philosophy focuses too much on the conscious while underestimating the power of the subconscious. In regards
to his experiment testing one's disgust for eating one's pet, he believes this disgust originated in ancient times when people first began to eat meat.
When beginning this tradition, people had to

Morality and Its Meaning

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Morality and Its Meaning