Across societies, all morals are created by the culture they govern. Because of this they are subject to change by the whim of the masses. Do you think there are some absolute morals, ones that cannot be changed? If so, why, and where do the governing authority of these morals on society come from?
2006-08-17 02:20:36 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
The problem with a "do unto others" mentality is that it ultimately breaks down. For instance, don't cut others, but if you're a surgeon you have to cut others, so we add modifiers to the morality (such as the context in which the act occurs) that will forgive the surgeons immoral action,thus making it moral.
The problem occurs when we try to make the "do unto others" mentality universal. Since we cannot export the entire scenario univerally, just the "main facts" we may lose some of the context that justifies the behavior.
So a "do unto others" based morality does not satisfy our need for an absolute moral system.
2006-08-17 02:39:00 · update #1
About write my own essay- this was one of my majors when I was at university, I'd be lying if I said at some point I didn't have to write exactly this essay. lol.
2006-08-17 02:40:41 · update #2
Yes, i am. Morals are standards creates by human. Morals can be changed if people who create them have change their standards. So if more people go bad, morals will be down. Authorities of morals? of course the people, if most people want "this", so "this" will be the moral. If most people change it to "that" so that will be the morals. So morals come from majorities standards
2006-08-17 02:57:55 · answer #1 · answered by NoBody 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all i can speak of is what i know. christians believe that their morals should come from the directions and examples given by the bible. (i know what you're going to say to this-the bible and christianity are exactly what you're talking about, a society of people governing masses on a whim) but...christians believe the bible to be the supreme word of God, divinely impressed on man to write and not the word of man so, the religion i am a part of considers the absolute morals to come from God, himself. in essence, we have to consider that there are absolute morals and strive to discover what those are. if not, the world would be in COMPLETE anarchy (more than it is) and EVERYTHING would be relative. do you disagree that murder is wrong? if you think it's wrong, do you think so because society has placed that on you or do you think maybe it was instilled in you when you were made? (however you believe that was) either way, someone at some point decided it was wrong (why?) and a majority of people agreed (and why?). it had to begin somewhere. you can't blame society for popular morality all the way back to the beginning of time. that would be like, a paradox. like the chicken and the egg thing.
2006-08-17 09:35:02 · answer #2 · answered by practicalwizard 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Anthropology states that morals and norms are different across groups. But there are a few that are standards no matter what society is represented. There is a social taboo against incest. In almost every culture through out time it has been a social taboo. There are others as well. So while the term absolute morals does not apply. Another term is around the spirit of what you are looking for and that is taboos.
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2006-08-17 10:18:28 · answer #3 · answered by Bacchus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cultural morals aren't necessarily self evident, granted. But there are self evident morals, even Immanuel Kant acknowledged that, because he believed there was a moral lawgiver. Some self evident truths of morals would be murder, rape, incest and theft are wrong.
The authority for governments to institute moral laws is found in the Bible, Romans 13:1-6. Leviticus 17-20 gives a list of moral laws, and the punishment by our conception rather brutal. Unfortunately, many governments are not performing their functions very well.
2006-08-17 09:34:21 · answer #4 · answered by tigranvp2001 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Write your own essay, Karl :)
I believe that there are no absolute morals, but subjectively, I am drawn to the concepts of benevolent interaction, and the freedom to live my life as I wish if it brings no harm to others.
2006-08-17 09:37:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you are right.
The guideline for morality, I think, is don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you.
The rest is relative.
2006-08-17 09:27:43 · answer #6 · answered by mikayla_starstuff 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋