Morality, Moral, And Moral Decisions Essay - 1304 Words

If there is one characteristic that distinguishes human civilization from any other organized species, then morality is definitely a favored candidate. In English the words â€Å"beastly† or â€Å"brutal† are used to describe the cruelest form of moral perversity; in Chinese the phrase â€Å"birds and beast† refers to people who committed appalling atrocities. Our propensity to view morality as the discriminating trait of human being overrides cultural and geographical barriers. For some people, this phenomenon serves as the evidence for the idea that morality arises out of, and should be explained by our ability for rational reasoning—a uniquely human faculty. Different schools of philosophy identify different elements behind the reasoning process that governs moral decisions—for utilitarianism those are net gain or loss of human welfare, and for Kantianism the only governing principle should be pure reason. However they all seem to harbor the same imperfection: seldom any metaphysical explanations for morality accurately capture our typical mental process behind a moral decision. While quotidian life is rife with moral decisions, neither careful evaluations of gain or loss in human welfare nor deliberate consideration of logical consistency came up to one’s mind on a daily basis. Moral psychologist took a different path: instead of constructing a logically coherent theory of ethics and reaching moral guidelines through deduction, they acknowledge the existence of certain basic moralShow MoreRelatedMorality And Moral Decision Making2005 Words   |  9 PagesMorality and moral decision making add yet another dimension to the already complex nature of warfare. A key tenet of warfare and combat is one human taking another’s life. Bloodshed is the main factor which differentiates warfare from diplomacy. However, warfare is never black and white. Modern day insurgent warfare requires incredibly difficult labeling and differentiating between combatants and civilians, that far surpasses the complexity of traditional warfare, making moral decisions all theRead MoreTheory Of Morality As A System Of Hypothetical Imperatives Essay1540 Words   |  7 PagesCircular Reasoning in Foot’s Moral System In â€Å"Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives†, Philippa Foot argues against Immanuel Kant, that morality exists in hypothetical imperatives rather than categorical imperatives. For Kant, categorical imperatives alone serve as moral commands, and it would be impossible for a moral system to be based on hypothetical imperatives because such imperatives serve as means to ends and result from maxims that cannot be universalized into perfect duties. DespiteRead MoreBecoming a Philosphy Scholar Too!1457 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers theories about morals and ethics that you will study will seem to come to life through open class discussions on hypothetical scenarios and examples to help you better understand the content, while relating it to realistic situations. Learning about the different philosophers theories on moral judgment allows you to question your own morals while looking at morality through a different lens. The philosophies on morality that truly made me rethink my moral judgment through presentingRead MoreAbortion And Assisted Dying And How They Affect Law Making Decisions923 Words   |  4 Pageshaving a moral agenda as it may infer with what needs to be the law. In order to understand whether lawmakers should have a moral agenda it must be understood what the law is and who can make it. Law can defined as ‘a body of rules that a country makes, and it is applied by the state’ , law can be made by two different bodies in the United Kingdom which include the Judicial system and the Parliament. Now that we understand what is the law and how it works morality can be tackled. Morality can be definedRead MoreOliver Wendell Holmess Relationship With Morality1632 Words   |  7 PagesA substantial debate over the law’s relationship with morality exists within the legal system. This debate gained new perspective when Oliver Wendell Holmes published The Path of Law in 1897, which outlined his view on the relationshi p between the law and morality. This paper will first consider whether or not Holmes believed that a writing must be moral in order to constitute a law. Next, we will explore my general agreement with Holmes’ view on this matter. Then, the paper will consider an objectionRead MoreThe Flaws Of Foots Moral System Essay1519 Words   |  7 PagesShortcomings of Foots Moral System In â€Å"Morality as a System of Hypothetical Imperatives,† Philippa Foot argues that moral judgments are in hypothetical imperatives rather than categorical imperatives. For Kant, categorical imperatives are actions that are good in themselves and do not depend on desires, while, hypothetical imperatives are â€Å"actions that are good to some purpose† (306). According to Foot, hypothetical imperatives alone serve as the basis of moral judgments because categorical imperativesRead MoreMoral Development As Defined By Lawrence Kohlberg1018 Words   |  5 PagesMoral development Moral development as defined by Lawrence Kohlberg is a theory that follows moral thinking through a series of three levels and six stages that are sequential and remain consistent. According to Kohlberg level one is entitled Pre-conventional morality (pre-operational). In this level it consists of two stages: Stage One deals with punishment and obedience or how good or bad something may be. Stage two is instrumental purpose and exchange at this stage one is said to conformRead MoreThe Moral Self, Moral Injury, And Moral Emotions1031 Words   |  5 PagesThe Moral Self, Moral Injury, and Moral Emotions The podcast between John Gavazzi and Nina Strohminger on morality have a few key themes that are discussed, including the moral self, moral injury, and moral emotions. Morality in psychology initially focused on Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, which were based on people’s ability to articulate what their moral objectives were. So, a person’s moral stage, or how advanced a person is, was determined by their explanations to the moralRead MoreEssay on Contrasting Kand and Hume on Morality1510 Words   |  7 PagesMorality is central to all rational beings, whereby a moral action is one determined by reason, rather than our personal desires as suggested by Kant (1785) in contrast to Hume. (1738). Furthermore, Kant suggests that an action is moral only on account of its being reasoned, therefore the moral worth of an action is determined by its motives and not by its consequences. Exploring the works of Hume (1738) and Kant(1785) on morality and ethi cs, we will ask the question whether we should do what isRead MoreThe Doctrine Of The Divine Command Theory1237 Words   |  5 PagesThe Divine Command Theory dictates that â€Å"An act is morally required just because it is commanded by God, and immoral just because God forbids it (Shafer-Landau 65).† This view is often accepted by religious people as the basis for morality; the morality of an action is determined by whether or not it is commanded by God. However, there are multiple problems presented by this line of thinking. One of the most common arguments against this theory is known as the Euthyphro Dilemma, derived from Plato’s