Where do you personally get your ethics/morals from?

Question

People form their morals and ethical constructs in many different ways; some use religious texts, some adopt them from their parents etc.

I personally try to use logic to develope my ethical concstruct but am interested in finding where other people develope their morals from, if they've ever seriously doubted or questioned them, if they feel strongly about their ethical system and if so why?

Sweetfee... "For me, ethics and morals need to come from outside of myself. If left to my own reason and logic, I could justify all kinds of mess" a very interesting point :)
I do however believe that you could not logically justify anything bad. You would have to be decieving or lying to yourself to do so.

Sapphire any reason why you get them from your family?

Answer 1

I credit my mother for everything that is good in my life and for the way I choose to live it now.She taught my everything I needed to live in this World. I could not have asked for a more wonderful teacher, friend, mother & mentor.

I was adopted by my maternal grandfathers sister. She was about my age now, almost 50 yrs old. She was the oldest sister out of 13 children so she had to be a mother to them as well since her mom was very ill & frail most of her life..no wonder!

I try to live my life based on the values mom taught me. She treated others with kindness, respect and always tried to help anyone in need. She certainly followed the Golden Rule...do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
I never heard her say a bad word against anyone. She always saw the good in people, she did what she believed was the right thing, she was a very genteel, talented, caring,loving, generous, kind, beautiful Spirit that I am all the more Blessed to have had in my life. I miss her warm hugs, her humor, her comfort, and the cool touch of her hand on my fevered head when I was sick. I am forever grateful she chose to be my mother.

Answer 2

Early in my life I got them from church and family, and to some degree there is still a residual influence. Once I entered the university and later the military service, I began to question those things that I had always accepted as 'facts' earlier on. That questioning process continues to this day, some 20 years later, and I can tell you that at this point I derive my ethics/morals from a variety of sources, not the least of which are the universal principles that are advocated by most of the religious/spiritual organizations in the world. Things like be kind to others and the Earth, don't take things that aren't yours, think before you speak, and listen with your whole body.

Thanks for the question, it was a good one.

Answer 3

For most people, their moral behaviors comes from society training (including parents). We have a human capacity for sympathy and empathy and society uses these to make us to be less selfish. We have a human need for love and approval and society uses these needs to train us through praise.

Society training results in a set of feelings we call conscience. We feel bad when we're dishonest and good when we do some good deed. We do what we feel like doing but society has trained us in what we feel.

In principle, we're trained to behave in the same way a rat can be trained.

Feelings by themselves are a poor foundation. What moral obligation do we owe a feeling? A morality that isn't just sentimentality has to be based on an obligation to a higher moral authority than ourselves. That can only be God.

Answer 4

Mine come specifically from the Bible, and paramount are the teachings of Jesus. I think that He's the person who can teach me how to live the best way possible. For me, ethics and morals need to come from outside of myself. If left to my own reason and logic, I could justify all kinds of mess...

Answer 5

I'm religious so my ethics and morals were adapted from my religion however culture did influence me greatly!...and my culture was formed from my religion(the basic things!)..so it's all connected to each other!.. i also rely on my brain to find logic in things and i find my religion very logical! :)


~have a nice day~

RoChEr

Answer 6

My environment and family.

I'm not ashamed of my body and don't find nudity shocking, cause my parents walked around the house nude.

Answer 7

I just get mine from personal experience and life in general.

Answer 8

Basically, I get mine from my family. Especially from my eldest brother and mother.