Reasons to Act Morally

1820 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The relationship between morality and law

Why be moral: A Purpose to Life

In our culture, many people are asking the same questions. What makes me better than you? Who says I have to treat you that way? Why does America think it is better than any other country? All of these questions arise from the same question: what are morals? This questions leads to another relevant question: why be moral? What, if anything, makes man (in this paper, I will use the word man in a generic sense meaning the entire human race) a moral creature and thus makes him responsible? However, is there any way we can really know that there are certain inherent laws which govern man, and behind these laws is there a Lawgiver that holds men accountable to these laws?

I believe that all these questions can be answered through careful observation and logical thinking. Let us first look at the one thing we know for sure and that is man. We can know this for sure because we are men so we would know how we act. When we associate with others, we do so with some rules of fairness in mind. We treat others in a certain way and expect them to treat us in the same way or we say it is “unfair” or “selfish.” We just expect the other person to know that such an act is wrong and that they must play by the same rules that we are. Why do we expect this though? They did not grow up the same way you did. They were not raised by the same parents or even in the same household. So why should one expect them to know the same rules of fairness that you know. If the only basis for your assumption that they should know the rules is because you think the rules are right, then you have no reason to expect them to act that way. However, the other person does indeed know these rule...

... middle of paper ...

...belong to us, we might as well be able to steal because there would be no reason not to. If there was no lawgiver there would be no law, but there obviously is this governing law in men that compels them to do certain things and not do others. If there were not consequences for these actions, anything would basically be moral right. If there was not a being behind the law to enforce it, there would be absolutely no real right or wrong. Everything would be relative, but it is not. There are things that everyone agrees are absolutely good, and absolutely bad. There is no other way around it. The lawgiver has given man a purpose and a reason for life, and it is man’s moral obligation to fulfill that purpose by upholding the law given him.

Works Cited / Consulted

Lewis C.S. Mere Christianity. New York, New York. Macmillan Publishing Company. 1943. pp 17-39.

Show More
Related

  • The Impact Of Gunas On Morality And Ethics In Hinduism

    831 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before I look at each of the specific aspects though, the question arises: “How can one be moral?” By definition, to be moral is to be concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong. Expanding on this is the principle of ethics. This is simply a system of moral principles.

    Read More

  • Societal Values vs. Moral Instincts

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    On his many adventures, Huckleberry Finn encounters numerous situations in which his morality is tested or needs to be implemented. Huck has moral dilemmas to a degree, but he figures out the answer to his questions. He also figures out that sometimes, society has it all wrong, and that at times you just have to follow your heart. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain reveals that what is honorable is to follow your natural moral instincts, not what society and civilization say is moral.

    Read More

  • Mark Tawin's Huckel Berry Finn

    275 Words  | 1 Pages

    The morals we obtain are products of the socity in which we live, the eniornment we are exposed to, and the people that surround us. This is why Huckelberry fin is so important, every factor huck

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King's A Letter From Birmingham Jail

    1260 Words  | 3 Pages

    Morality derives from the Latin moralitas meaning, “manner, character, or proper behavior.” In light of this translation, the definition invites the question of what composes “proper behavior” and who defines morality through these behaviors, whether that be God, humanity, or Martin Luther King in “A Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Socrates confronted the moral dilemma in his discourses millennia ago, Plato refined his concepts in his Republic, and leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi would commit their life work to defining and applying the term to political reform. Finally, after so many years, King reaches a consensus on the definition of morality, one that weighs the concepts of justice and injustice to describe morality

    Read More

  • Aristotle's View On Morality And Morality

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Morals are developed from the moment we are born to the moment we die, and are cultivated by what we see, hear, and do within our lives, but more importantly by the people we meet. In the world there are all manner of things for us to bear witness to, whether it be the beauty of birth or the gritty horror that is war, in either case men and women are shaped and changed by these events whether it be good or bad. The greek philosopher Aristotle is quoted as saying, “And to say what makes good morals vs what are bad ones is completely based on self, for no two people have the same upbringing, class, or position in life, for how is a slave who has known nothing but the brutality of his/her master to understand under what morals, owned by their

    Read More

  • Morality And Morality

    3173 Words  | 7 Pages

    In every civilized society you will always find many varying forms of morality and values, especially in the United States of America. In Societies such as these you find a mosaic of differing religions, cultures, political alignments, and socio economic backgrounds which suggests that morality and values are no different. In Friedrich Nietzsche’s book, Beyond Good and Evil, Nietzsche discusses morality and the two categories that you will find at the very basis of all varieties of morality. One category of morality focuses on the “Higher Man” and his superiority to all those under him and his caste. The second system is derived from those of a lower caste that may be used by those in higher castes to further themselves and society. These categories as described by Nietzsche are known as Master Morality and Slave Morality. In this modern time in our culture, morality is becoming a more polarizing topic than ever before. Morality is often times held synonymous with religious practice and faith, although morality is an important part of religion and faith, everyone has some variation of morality no matter their religious affiliation or lack thereof. Friedrich Nietzsche’s theories on morality, Master and Slave Morality, describe to categories of morality which can be found at the very basis of most variations of morality. Master and Slave morality differ completely from each other it is not uncommon to find blends of both categories from one person to another. I believe the Master Morality and Slave Morality theories explain not only religious affiliations but also political alignments and stances on certain social issues in American society. By studying the origins and meanings of Nietzsche’s theories, comparing these theories to c...

    Read More

  • Religion as a Guiding Force in Morality

    991 Words  | 2 Pages

    The second reason to act morally is because there is religion. Sometimes moral codes are obtained by theologians who clarify holy books, like the Bible in Christianity, the Torah in Judaism, and the Qur 'an in Islam. Their conclusions are often accepted as absolute by their believers. Those who believe in God view him as the supreme law giver; a God to whom we owe obedience and allegiance. In other words, they think that being a good person is one who obey god by following his commandments. Religion helps people to judge whether a certain act is good or bad, which can be considered as the definition of morality. Most religions promote the same values which are: fairness, loyalty, honesty, trust, etc.... Similarly, McGinn lists the same qualities

    Read More

  • Edna Pontellier's Suicide in Kate Chopin's The Awakening

    1574 Words  | 4 Pages

    moral responsibility is what all of humanity struggles with and strives to achieve. Many forces

    Read More

  • Differences Of Cultural Relativism: Personality, And Morality

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over many years people have seemed to develop their thinking concerning morality based on resulting in interactions with individuals and social institutions. Different societies have their own cultures that have different ideas about how humans are to behave. Societies

    Read More

  • Is Morality Subjective or Objective?

    3598 Words  | 8 Pages

    1. First, the concepts of good and morality exist. The very existence of the idea of good argues for something in human society that is different than the bunnies and the wolves. "Nature" is amoral; the bunnies do not protest the fact that wolves eat them. There is no notion, outside of Bambi, that the animals consider some of themselves good and some bad. Thus, the nature of humanity is somehow different than other creatures. Somehow we know that certain principles and actions are "good" and acceptable, rather than simply necessary for existence. We contemplate the abstract thought of moral principle itself, and the universality of such an idea. All human cultures do not have exactly the same moral codes, but all cultures have a moral code. This concept of the nature of humanity argues for a code of morality that fits all people; we seek it, we believe it, we feel that we need it.

    Read More

  • Charactertorical Essay: Why People Should Be Moral?

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Why be moral? This is a question that I’ve asked myself for many weeks since the beginning of this class. I wanted to know why is being moral so important to some people myself included. This also lead me to another question, which is why is it easier for some people and harder for others to be moral? First, let 's understand what it is to be moral. One definition of moral is concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. Another definition is a person 's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do. From both of these definitions, we get that being moral concerns right and wrong and being able to differentiation from both of those and having your actions reflect what you believe is right and wrong.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Moral Codes

    1945 Words  | 4 Pages

    “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

    Read More

  • Examples Of Universal Morals

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Can a human beings in society behave in a moral way at all times? Is there truly universal moral principles for everyone? Are human beings logical enough to recognize and follow these principles? These are some of the most problematic and most challenging questions that moralists have attempted to clarify. Obviously, something is keeping society half-way civilized and able to resolve moral value conflicts. Universal morals are like societies set of unwritten rules that are forced onto a developed society. There is a set of universal principles that applies to everyone at all times, like do not kill and do not steal.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between Religion and Ethics

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...alues, judging other people’s actions, and questioning the righteousness of our own morals. Though depending on our religion or background we may all have different feelings and opinions about what is right and wrong, it is virtually impossible to go throughout one’s life without taking part in some sort of exploration into one’s own morals. Even though many of us may inherit our morals from our families or cultures, it is important that we explore why we believe what we feel is morally right or wrong, morally good or bad. Are the morals we get from our families truly our own? Have we been through enough life experiences to distinguish our own morals from those that have been pushed on us by our culture and society? Through exploring these feelings, we are able to make the best possible decisions for ourselves that will in turn determine the standards of our lives.

    Read More

  • Why Should I Be Moral?

    1385 Words  | 3 Pages

    of joy or pleasant feelings. We can be happy at one moment, but not the next.

    Read More

More about Reasons to Act Morally

Open Document