The Mayflower Compact

1042 Words3 Pages

From the first European migrants to America in the eighteenth century, we as the collective American people have set forward certain moral standards, first in the Mayflower Compact, and later, when the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were ratified. But even beyond our written laws, citizens of the United States have other unspoken guidelines that we follow on a day to day basis that affect the way we act and perceive, as well as our interactions with other people—Especially when our interactions are considered deviant by our society.
To address American morality, first, we must first address the question: What is morality? Stanford University defines morality as either some code of conduct put forward by a society, group, or individual, or a “...code of conduct that, given specified conditions, would be put forward by all rational persons” (Gert). This morality can be seen to derive from a higher divine source, or from a biological basis, where morality is part of humanity's complex structure used to avoid social consequences and maintain social grouping while increasing our chances of survival, much like the functioning of wolves in social groups (Petersen). So, what do rational people set forward as moral codes? After extensive research, in 1998, a research professor from Pellegrino University put forward that the universal, commonly understood moral values are honor, patriotism, altruism, justice, compassion, mercy, and redemption (Wilson). To determine America's moral code, I did some of my own research and discussion among my peers and my family, and there were a few generally agreed upon answers: Freedom, justice, patriotism, responsibility, independence, and the pursuit of happiness (some of these were na...

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Leon, Joseph. "Logical & Critical Thinking." Logical and Critical Thinking What Is Morality and Where Does Morality Come From Comments. Logical-Critical-Thinking, 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Moya-Smith, Simon. "Survey: 42 Percent of Harvard's Incoming Freshman Class Cheated on Homework." NBC News. NBC News, 6 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Petersen, Kim. "What Is America's Code of Morality?" Dissident Voice. Dissident Voice, 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
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Wilson, Edward O. "The Biological Basis of Morality." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 1998. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

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The Mayflower Compact

Discussion Questions For The Mayflower By Nathaniel Shilbrick

Vernonia School District V. Acton (1996)