"right" and "wrong": a moral issue?

Question

I believe in right and wrong. I think that hurting is wrong. Helping is right.
However, I've heard from a number of people that "right" and "wrong" is subjective. What are your thoughts on this?

Answer 1

An 'opinion' is not the same as a fact - 'Is there any such thing as the right to violate rights?' - some would say yes, logic and reason says no.

"An organism's life depends on two factors: the material or fuel which it needs from the outside, from its physical background, and the action of its own body, the action of using that fuel properly. What standard determines what is proper in this context? The standard is the organism's life, or: that which is required for the organism's survival.

"No choice is open to an organism in this issue: that which is required for its survival is determined by its nature, by the kind of entity it is...

"... An ultimate value is that final goal or end to which all lesser goals are the means—and it sets the standard by which all lesser goals are evaluated. An organism's life is its standard of value: that which furthers its life is the good, that which threatens it is the evil."

Answer 2

Of course right and wrong are subjective. Take capital punishment as an extreme example. Some states in America thinks it is right and just to execute criminals after a fair trial, these states would consider it morally wrong to summarily execute criminals without trial (like some countries do) And other countries Britain included think it is wrong to execute anyone in any circumstance.

Yet Britain and America have allowed their citizens to be tortured which both countries think is morally wrong as long as it doesn't happen on home soil!!

Morally right, legally right and what we will do to prove ourselves right are all totally subjective!!

Answer 3

One criterion for insanity is not knowing any difference for right and wrong. Certainly there are differences in rights and wrongs just as there are differences in fidelity or affiliations for which loyalties and duties to protect with bias and difference to enemies and the threat of the deceptive are needed. It is exactly this reason, that the conscience is subject to so many forces that bend and transform that a person needs temper and readiness to judge, tho' susceptible to error we may act. Unfortunately 'fidelity' its self may bend according to social positivity and values for universal humanity. I think more than any other this universal positive conception is used to deceive people into acts that are later found contrary to their positive nature.

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The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative.

Answer 4

Veganism hurts others. It hurts the economy, it hurts herders, it hurts those who survive on the meat industry. Families around the world may starve as they are unable to sell their meat products and animals products. Entire villages may become bankrupt as their economic survival is affected by each and every vegan.

If we accept that you believe that hurting others is wrong, you are now in an ethical dilemma.

I say dispense with the moral and continue to eat vegan. Deny the conflict. Or, struggle under the immorality of the choice.

Answer 5

hurting and helping are very simple terms, think- building a dam, its hurts people by making them moves out of their homes and leave behind the landscape, but it helps them in the long run because alternative power (i believe we're going to need that alternative power someday). there are many instances where we do something nice not thinking about it, but we actually start a chain of events that causes grief and harm. i guess my answer is that right and wrong are temporary and we can all have our own point of view on it. we all have our opinions, but should we have to label a situation right or wrong, we're most likely going to see it from the majority's point of view

Answer 6

Yes, morality is sujective. What we consider right and wrong, people in another place or time consider otherwise. For example, generally in the UK we have no moral objection to homosexuality. However, in Iran, gay men are hanged for having consentual sex with each other because it is contrary to Islamic morality.

Some moral questions are more objective and probably a results of 'memes' in evolution. Richard Dawkins covers morality quite well in The God Delusion, I suggest you read the relevant parts.

Answer 7

This is the case. It is fair to say that religion can influence people's perceptions of what is right and wrong. For instance, the Catholic faith believes sex before marriage is wrong yet many people don't feel the same way.

Answer 8

Ethics, the ten commandments, ones spirituality, these are tools to detect right from wrong. I don't think ethics allow flexibility of right or wrong. It is definitely a moral issue.

Answer 9

of course the specifics of right and wrong are subjective; people are different, they value different things and have diverse ideas about what is acceptable and what is not. Culture instills in us the ideals of morality. Advertising, tradition, media, parents, peers.... everything you come into contact with.... even good and bad are subjective ideals... you have to decide based on what you think and feel...

Answer 10

well there are fundamental right and wrongs,we all know the drill,but there are some things,principles that are right to some and wrong to another ,it's how we differentiate between the instinctive humane rights and wrongs that matter not our own selfish needs