What is moral?

Answer 1

What may be moral in one ethical theory may be immoral in another.

Some ethical theories:
Virtue ethics
Feminist ethics (a branch of virtue ethics)
Utilitarianism
Deontololgy

Answer 2

This is such a broad question I don't even know where to start. Could you be more specific? How about give an instance and what to compare it with.

If you are wondering what the word "moral" means then I can explain that. A moral is when a lesson has been taught out of experience.

One example: A man decides to put his hand in a pot of boiling water. The result: His hand is blistered and infected and needs medical attention.

Moral of the story: Don't put your hand in any pot of boiling water unless you want your hand to be burned.

Many fairy tales include morals which are mentioned to teach children morals. The bible is also filled with them.

Now there is also Moral, as in what is politically right but that involves a whole other area of an explanation

Answer 3

'Moral' has to do with principles of right and wrong. The problem sometimes is that the word means different things to different people, because people have different principles. And if you don't define better what you are trying to say, people think you're talking about -their- idea of morality.

I find a lot of people, even dictionaries, equate morals with ethics. But I believe they are different. Ethics are 'situational'. Morals are absolute. The Judeo-Christian God is a -moral- God, not an ethical one. Otherwise instead of Ten Commandments, we'd have 'Ten Guidlines'. 8^)

Answer 4

Moral is a set of standards of behavior in human interactions, evolved through experience of generations, primarily with a view to ensuring durable peace, harmony and cooperation within any group or society on a sustainable basis and with the objective of maximizing collective wellbeing of all in a just and equitable manner. When these morals acquire administrative backing, they become law which are legally enforceable. In other cases, these are left to the wisdom and judgment of individuals to follow.

Answer 5

What Small and others are speaking of is more custom and tradition and mere sentiment than it is moral. These things have no moral authority behind them.

Moral includes the idea that our human ability to put ourselves into the place of others comes from a higher moral authority, i.e. God. God is then the authority behind our feelings of sympathy and empathy. God is behind our conscience. God backs up the Golden Rule. This makes the GR universal and an absolute. If we believe in God, then we have an obligation to God to respect his command to love one another. If we don't believe in God, then conscience and sympathy and empathy are merely sets of feelings and feelings have no moral authority over us.

Answer 6

To be able to determine morality, a person would have to believe there is a concrete "right" and "wrong" in the universe.
Some call it Absolute Truth. Some call it the "Tao", or "The Way".

It is prevalent in modern (or post modern) culture to say there is no absolute truth, that everything is relative. Still, those very people, if they jump out of a 12th story window would still hit the concrete ground just as hard, whether they believe in absolute truths, like gravity, or not.

Absolute Truth does exist, and we still can benefit by recognize it and living by it (morality) or we can harm ourselves and others by denying it and and living to please our own selfish whims.

Various cultures have a basic code of conduct written to express the Tao. The Ten Commandments are a good example of this. These commandments are set up to guide people into living healthy lives, respect the sacred, respect their own bodies and the land, and respect and protect the rights of others. When we discard these guides, we create a culture of chaos where no one is safe from another's whims, families struggle from abandonment and as parents base their choices on lust rather than commitment, and eventually, everyone is broken and there is no one left to pick up the pieces. Even the government cannot survive and the general welfare is compromised, as selfish behavior creates a plethora of problems the tax base cannot even support.

In a land where "everyone does what is right in his own eyes", no one is safe, as all of us are prone to selfishness without a little guidance, just as children will play in the street if there is no fence around the playground.

I'm not talking about a heavy, endless list of rules and regulations. We're getting that already these days, based on political correctness and insurance regulations! I'm talking about not cheating on a marriage partner, keeping commitments that you've made, respecting the rights and property of others, putting boundaries on what employers can demand of employees (giving a "Sabbath" or days off to rest) and things that are really just common sense.

I'm really just talking about what is right and fair. There would be SO much less confusion in the world if people got out of bed each day knowing, "Hmmm.... I already know I'm not going to cheat or steal today, or cheat on my wife, or murder anyone. So, I can get on with doing good and productive things!" Instead, people are going on talk shows to hash out the hair splitting issues that they believe defend their rights to take from others and to run over whoever gets in their way.

With a code of morals, I don't have to agonize over decisions like, "Is it ok to steal my best friend's husband, since he doesn't really love her any more?" Those decisions have been made for me, so I can get down to the business of making a living, loving my family, and ... if there is an part of me that is selfish enough to want to violate the moral code in some way, to spend time in prayer asking for strength to do the right thing, because, after all, the world does not revolve around me.

SO.... THAT is what moral is. Even if a person is not convinced that a certain religion is right, adopting a solid moral code can sure keep you out of a lot of trouble while you are working on finding your way to a greater understanding of Truth. I found that, even during a time that I didn't know what I believed about God and some religious issues, I could live a much saner life standing on the basic foundation of The Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

One thing about truth is.... when you do what you already know is right, you will find more truth revealed to you as you walk a straight path. Walk a crooked path, and you'll just get lost and run into destructive situations over and over again.

Answer 7

Moral is when you do things that is within the bounds of law of a society in a country and the laws of God.

Answer 8

Ethics that define interhuman activities, especially things that build society in a positive way, or that enhance interpersonal relationships.

Example: Honesty. People who are honest are likely to contribute in a positive way for the common good than someone who is severly dishonest.

Answer 9

I don't know.There are sincere .honest persons who think it is Okay to marry more than one woman..A vegetarian thinks it is cruel to eat birds and animals;yet we know a man may be a lover of animals and birds and also eat them.!
Perhaps that is why they say Judge not.
People who really want to do the right thing should think and decide for themselves , without a selfish motive (if possible).Some people think you need grace of God to conquer the base instincts;that it is not possible otherwise

Answer 10

moral the good,something nice,values