http://www.englishforums.com/English/ControversialTopics/Forum28.htm<font color=red>This entire section is moderated</font><br> Dedicated to continual re-education and our search for a broader understanding of life. Please register if you wish to post here.enXMOD (Build: 3607.32596)http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/5/zbpd/Post.htm#420473Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:420473Insider0http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/5/zbpd/Post.htm#420473http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-420473.xmlConus Lotus wrote: Thanks Rommie. I once read that anything that improves the world is morally right. Anything that weakens the world is morally wrong. How do we tell? Well that calls for wisdom. I know this is maybe too simplistic. I must give this more thought. Cheers Dear Conus, I was just about to agree with you, then I remembered human factor in all that happening in the world. Morality is human-bound perception. So long as good and bad things are caused by human to the world, difficult to categorize then things as being moral or immoral. Like, desire to have sex is immoral when it is resulted in increase of prostitution, human-trafficking, prevalence of STI etc., but moral within the marraige, love, continuation of...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/5/zbpd/Post.htm#416139Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:416139Anonymous1http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/5/zbpd/Post.htm#416139http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-416139.xmlRommie wrote: Thanks for the complement, Conus, but I think I may have been misunderstood. What I really want to know is this: How may we know what is right and what is wrong? In particular, how do you derive your knowledge/belief of what is right and what is wrong? That's really all I'm asking. Rommie morality noun a personal or social set of standards for good or bad behaviour and character, or the quality of being right, honest or acceptable. Everyone has a sense of morality that is formed by inherent qualities (personal set of standards) as well as upbringing (social set of standards). Consequently, what we think is good or bad, that we do not always act on, anyway, is a matter of opinion and where you belong.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#162633Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162633TeacherBrian2http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#162633http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-162633.xmlMorality is a code of conduct. It can be externally imposed/sourced, or internally adopted, or both. It is a 'local' code, i.e. local to the group that it has jurisdiction over or that have agreed to it, either explicitely or implicily. Or it can be local 'geographically', or local 'chronologically' in that what may be seen as immoral in one time period or age, may be considered quite acceptable or even moral in another. It implies choice, responsiblities to others, answerabilty. It generally implies good results, rewards, for adherence/compliance. Conversely it also implies punishment or bad consequences for violation. Who decides what is moral? And who decides who decides?...That's another matter!http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#162610Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:162610Anonymous3http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#162610http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-162610.xmljustice and morality can be displayed in manyu different ways. what is moral can be different from deiffernent peoples opinions who decides what is moral and what is not?http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#50612Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:50612Onesimus4http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#50612http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-50612.xmlFrom the Biblical Christian standpoint morality comes from God. His attributes as shown in His only Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God incarnant and the standard for morality. No one can perfectly meet the standard because God is holy. His standards for morality do not change. God will not wink at sin even though humans want to keep moving the line. Which is why as sinners, Jesus Christ is the only way to go free from the punishment for immorality (Romans 6:23).http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#50124Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:50124survivor755http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#50124http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-50124.xmlThe Morality is only a word, that the men put to have rules of conduct. For example love is a word too, we can't touch but we can feel because is intrinsic to human bean. On the contrary, morality change through the time..something was wrong in the past can be good in the present. So the morality isn't absolute. Is only a norms of conduct for living in society.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#43060Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:43060Onesimus6http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#43060http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-43060.xmlIn the new testament book, James 1:21 of the NIV translation of the Bible, the term "moral" is used. It is thought James, the likely brother of Jesus, wrote James in the early 60s but other scholars believe it was written before A.D. 50. As an evangelical, spiritually regenerated Christian for sure since age 51, the person of Jesus Christ and the Bible are the litmus test for me concerning morality. One of Jesus' exclusive truth claims is, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 NIV And that pretty much settles the issue for me. Whether Jesus is a liar or the truth. If He is truth and rose from the dead, and I believe He is and did, then He and the scriptures become my user's...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42066Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42066Ryuyuki7http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42066http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-42066.xmlromie you make a very intersting post to talk about. it's make me re-think again what is morality all about. well i start with in my opinion without seeing any kind of book, references, or something like that, cause really... it's make me feel very-very confuse by mix them all and you will never really understand it in the end cause you'll with spinning in your head (hehehe) let's see. i think it's start first many....many...many years ago from relegion and custom that were generated from one person to another. them think what they do is in moral on immoral were leaned on it. but when came a very tricky-difficult-hard situation, people mind start to re-think again about their relegion and custom that their were followed from the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42050Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42050David8http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42050http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-42050.xmlEthicists would argue that we should know what ought to be done and what ought not to be done in a given situation. Before one gets to that stage one needs to inform one's conscience. The problem is where do we get the information and how reliable is it. Mine comes from my faith and others will have their own sources. The ten commandments are common to most religions and are accepted in many judicial systems. Not all.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42039Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:42039job449http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#42039http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-42039.xmlWow! You guys really got me thinking on this question.........but I will do my best. I will start by saying alot of people don't believe in the bible but they would have to admit that if they did everything the bible says to do in those situations we would be better off. For example: If we waited until we were married to have sex, there would be less cheating and disease. If it was difficult to get divorced, people would think before jumping into marriage and in turn have longer, happier marriages. The children would be more respectful and successful themselves for having grown up with both parents. My God look at the ten commandments; I'm not preaching I am simply being practical. A genius wrote the ten commandments as a guideline to a...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#26111Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:26111Chameleon10http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/4/zbpd/Post.htm#26111http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-26111.xmlActually, no one is executed by electric chair anymore. All executions are by lethal injection. Of course, it doesn't change the dilemma. I don't know that this thread is the right one for that discussion anyway.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25960Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25960rommie11http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25960http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25960.xmlNever say never. All humans are aliens to me. But, no, I meant electric chairs.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25952Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25952Chameleon12http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25952http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25952.xmlYou mean electric chairs or aliens? My feelings on the death penalty are mixed. As for aliens, slaughter could be part of their reproductive cycle for all we know. I think if humans ever made contact with intelligent alien life, we could never truly understand them because the odds are very great that they would be nothing like us. Best to stay out of their business unless it affects us.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25935Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25935rommie13http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25935http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25935.xmlI think I was trying to make the point that that was most likely NOT right (in my view). So I don't think we need to ask, or answer, either of those two questions. The only one that matters is the one that you put aside - why do they want to kill the guy? If he/she is carrying a dormant virus which, if let loose, could wipe out everyone on the planet, the others may indeed be justified in doing what needs to be done to save the planet. But I don't believe that the morality changes because there are or aren't other people outside the room. It may make a different to whether or not those guys get caught/arrested, but I don't see how it can make a difference to the rightness or wrongness of the thing. Remember, in Rommie-philosophy,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25882Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25882Chameleon14http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25882http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25882.xmlI guess I didn't think it through before, but riddle me this... Rommie, you gave an example some time back about 9/10 people in a room of 10 people wanting to kill the last person. Are they justified? Put aside the reason they want to kill that person for a moment. Don't we have to ask: 1) "do any people outside the room exist? What is their role in defining the morality of the people inside the room?" 2) "do we, as an exterior observer, have any input as to the nature of the decision?" This is more than just an extension of "does nation A have a say in what nation B does" because regardless of our nationality, we are all human, so we DO have an interest in defining morality. Consider it from the point of view of observing an...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25859Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25859rommie15http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25859http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25859.xmlWhat type of morality can a society promote that would permit individual fulfillment, while at the same time contribute to the betterment of the society? For today, I believe this should include the world-society somewhere in its considerations. What methods (including a process for evaluating the outcome) can we use to help determine a morality that would these elements? The whole "Do unto others..." thing sounds like a pretty good starting point to me. One must be careful not to take it TOO literally, of course. After all - if you happenned to be really interested in Star Trek, that would not imply that everyone else would like to receive the latest DVD boxed set. ...and if a masochist took the principle of "do unto others...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25820Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25820maj16http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25820http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25820.xmlHi monfrancom, i had a wonderful time reading your post. I really liked what you said about morality in general, and the examples were perfect. Lol. But most importantly, you raised some interesting questions at the very end. I hope someone answers them. Cheers.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25815Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25815monfrancom17http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25815http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25815.xmlRe: What is Morality? "Now here's a straightforward question. What is morality? Is it a personal code of conduct? Is it in some sense absolute? I would be very interested in understanding where the various participants in this forum are coming from on this one, as I hope it will help me to understand how people reach the conclusions they do." As the objective here is to foster discussion, right or wrong not being the objective, I would follow Conus Lotus' approach and start with definitions of "morality". I add two (see bellow): one from Britannica online, and the other from All Words. According to the first, "morality" became commonly used in the 14th century. We need to keep in mind that a word makes its way into the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25310Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25310Conus Lotus18http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25310http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25310.xmlRommie No Rommie you are not. I think perhaps you have presumed WAY too much. In the case of Maj's story I may have been tempted to have used words such as "offensive to those (possibly in the minority, possibly in the majority - we don't know), who made their dissapproval known, but possibly stimulating for their husbands" Peter Well put. I would hasten to add that in my opinion "group morals" may be held by ANY (extremist or not) group, in addition to your example of Christians; the Society for World Domination and Galactic Fraud with Fun, rocket scientists, genetic engineers, encyclopaedia salesmen, telephone sanitisers, communists, the Mafia Extortionists and Hitperson's Guild, the Taliban, the International Red Cross,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25300Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25300Conus Lotus19http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/3/zbpd/Post.htm#25300http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25300.xmlBelieve me when I say that I never would have dreampt I would be arguing this position a mere ten years ago. I think laws are probably the best signpost as to what the majority of a population agrees is best for its society. I know the purpose of law is not strictly to define morals (rather to facilitate a workable society), but are there any other indicators? Is there the possibility that morality is instinctive? Is there the possiblity that it is the result of some cosmic consciousness? Is it neccessarily linked to authoritarian control? Can morality be taught? Would a society devoid of public morality be sustainable? Does it even exist, or is there no evidence of its existence? I do not profess to know the answers to...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25299Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25299Conus Lotus20http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25299http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25299.xmlGood question Peter. I would guess that the smaller the sampling of opinion, the higher the likelyhood of (how should I put this?) anomalies. If the actions of those men were judged by a jury of, say, 140 million people would the result be different do you think?http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25275Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25275rommie21http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25275http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25275.xmlHi Conus, I think I'm starting to get it now. I think we're not speaking the same language as each other! I think we're using different terms to refer to the same thing, and the same terms to refer to different things, and hence (I at least) get awfully confused. Here's a for-instance. There is one concept which normally we would refer to by different terms: - In Rommie-speak, it's normally called "socially inappropriate" ... and sometimes abbreviated to just "inappropriate" - In Conus-speak, the same thing is called "socially immoral" ... and sometime abbreviated to just "immoral". You got me thinking when you said: I think I may have put my finger on the source of the misunderstanding. Here is what I said, please note the...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25257Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25257maj22http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25257http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25257.xmlI know that some people may think my reasoning is totally wrong but I would say that morality exists in order to protect the so called "weaker" aspects of certain behaviours in an established society. That is why morality varies from one society to another. I would say that some people feel safer, maybe because they would otherwise be confused, if they don't have some clearly-cut patterns of behaviour. This is meant to be a point of view, not my personal opinion.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25236Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25236rommie23http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25236http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25236.xmlIn a civil society the opinions of the majority must be taken into account when trying to establish what is (*socially*) moral and what is not. Morality is subjective, you are quite right ... but that is why collective morality is so important when assessing what is appropriate for a society as a whole. Thank you, Conus. I think I understand what you're getting at now. But it does raise one more question ... how can any of us actually KNOW what the majority of a given society believes? I can't even predict the beliefs of a single human being with accuracy. You see, no offense intended, but ... it is a very, very easy thing to do to assume that, whatever your beliefs, "most people" agree with you. And the thing is, even if you...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25233Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25233peter24http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25233http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25233.xmlOne more point on the concept of 'majority rules' in support of the opposing argument: Regarding my previous post I'd like to point out that I'm not saying that popular opinion has no place. For example: If a group of people all agree on a certain system of morals then it does etch it's way into the group psyche. In other words the abundance of belief in a particular system creates a whole new entity. Therefore the group is the entity. The point here is that new ideas occur inside the group. Allow me to explain. In an extremist Christian group their morals may create a whole array of prejudices however the by product of that is an environment in which the members enjoy a reality of care and fellowship. Therefore popular opinion...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25226Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25226peter25http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25226http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25226.xmlOk I have a point to make regarding majority opinion. Here's another case: There are 2 men and a woman in a room who do not know each other that well. Man A is emotionally imbalanced and for one reason or another decides to attack and rape the woman. Acting morraly Man B intervenes and stops Man A. The underlying morals here have prevailed and the innocent woman has been spared. Now in another situation there are 10 men and 1 woman in a room. Most of the men are feeling imbalanced but 2 of them are not (Maybe their love lives are better) Seeing as there are 8 imbalanced men they all attack the woman and seeing as majority has ruled out they all get away with a gang rape. Now these men don't want to appear morraly wrong and so...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25215Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25215Conus Lotus26http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25215http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25215.xmlRommie, I think I may have put my finger on the source of the misunderstanding. Here is what I said, please note the addition in brackets (*socially*) which I should have included in the original. I do apologise for not having included it, I didn't think it necessary because I thought the second sentence made it clear. "In a civil society the opinions of the majority must be taken into account when trying to establish what is (*socially*) moral and what is not. Morality is subjective, you are quite right ... but that is why collective morality is so important when assessing what is appropriate for a society as a whole." My point is that distinctions can be made between public or group morality and private or individual morality,...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25212Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25212maj27http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25212http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25212.xmlAll of them for having knives. It would be a lot wiser if person C saved person B before anything like that happened.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25201Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25201Chameleon28http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/2/zbpd/Post.htm#25201http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25201.xmlHere's my quandry: You have three people with knives. Persons A, B, and C. Person A attacks Person B (the reason may be important, but I'll save that for later) and Person B cannot defend himself. Is Person C at all obligated to defend Person B? The harder question is, "should they do it anyway?" There are two problems here: 1) What is the motivation of Person C to defend Person B and attack Person A based on the principle of "do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? 2) If Person C suceeds in killing or maiming Person A and prevents Person B from being injured, who has commited the more serious violation here? Person A or Person C?http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25187Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25187rommie29http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25187http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25187.xmlHi Conus. Please feel free to consider me so completely stupid that I can't even see the obvious. This is essentially true - I'm being sincere here. There would appear to be aspects of your reasoning which, to you, are so obvious that they don't even need to be stated, since, in your view, everyone surely knows without having to be told. But please believe me when I tell you that, not only are they not obvious to me, they baffle and perplex me completely, and I have absolutely no idea how, in your mind, B follows from A. I realise now that you are following a chain of logic with I simply do not see. This is why I am asking for your help in my trying to understand. Let me give you a specific example. You stated in another thread...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25165Sat, 23 May 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25165Elena30http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25165http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25165.xmlHi Maj, it was good example to reflect on differences in morality -In Spain the bikini was ok. You think that wearing that bikini is perfectly correct -In that part of States it was too tiny. You think they are puritanical, they think they are right and that you were wrong -Imagine what would be the situation in Saudi Arabia? You would probably brought directly to prison, forced to pay a fine and whipped. (If some Saudi in the forum, s/he could say if this is accurate as I haven't verify by myself, this is from my readings and talks to Saudi women, but I'm afraid it is true) For some the morality is not related to the size of the clothes, for some it is related but they don't interfere and for some it is so dramatically...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25158Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25158Conus Lotus31http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25158http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25158.xmlThanks Rommie. I once read that anything that improves the world is morally right. Anything that weakens the world is morally wrong. How do we tell? Well that calls for wisdom. I know this is maybe too simplistic. I must give this more thought. Cheershttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25157Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25157maj32http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25157http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25157.xmlI think this topic is absolutely fascinating. On the one hand, it makes you think of your own prejudices and mindset. Haven't you ever experienced different types of behaviour and acted accordingly. Let me give you a very picturesque example. A few years ago I bought a wonderful bikini which I often wore in my country and it was perfectly ok. When I went to the States I took it with me and you wouldn't believe it, it caught everybody's attention. To be honest, at the very beginning I thought it was because it was styled differently. But no, it wasn't actually that because I was getting those kind of weird looks from the opposite sex so I gathered that there was something wrong with it, I sensed it in the atmosphere. Feeling rather...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25155Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25155rommie33http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25155http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25155.xmlThanks for the complement, Conus, but I think I may have been misunderstood. What I really want to know is this: How may we know what is right and what is wrong? In particular, how do you derive your knowledge/belief of what is right and what is wrong? That's really all I'm asking. Rommiehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25152Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25152Elena34http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25152http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25152.xmlIt would seem that we (the more than 6 billion of inhabitants of the Earth) have an inner voice that says to us what is good and what is bad, and that we could dream that we agree in the basics, being Morality the same for all. What a dream Even if agreeing, we don't follow the inner voice guidelines, and, as we don't agree anyway, for me, Morality is just a word. Quite useless word, too overused, too frequently utilised to tyrannize others, taken as "own" for streams of differnt kind of principles/convictions ready to impose their "morals" forcing, denigrating or condemning those who don't agree. From another perspective: -after leaving this world, don't leave behind any person damaged by our words or our actions.http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25146Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25146Conus Lotus35http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25146http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25146.xmlRommie and Chameleon, your posts are very impressive!! Unfortunalely I can not say that I really understand them, so in an effort to help answer your question, and for the benefit of any other readers who may also not have understood your postings I consulted the 'Hyperdictionary" (hyperdictonary.com) in order to further explore the meaning of this most wonderful word. Here is what I found; mor•al•ity /mrælti/ noun 1 principles concerning right and wrong or good and bad behaviour: matters of public / private morality 2 the degree to which something is right or wrong, good or bad, etc. according to moral principles 3 a system of moral principles followed by a particular group of people I also checked its antonym, as...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25142Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25142Chameleon36http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htm#25142http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25142.xmlAh... an oldie but goodie. In short, I agree with your evaluation. Here's how I came to the conclusion myself. First I think we need to define what kind of absolute right and wrong we are talking about here. This means we must have an absolute source of authority. If we choose God(s) as a source of authority, game over. There's your source. Unfortunately, humans have a nasty habit of disagreeing when God(s) is/are the standard. That's a whole other can of worms. If we say we need ultimate authority, arguing over whose non-verifiable God(s) has authority (or even exists) will get us nowhere. There is no morality in Nature. The conditions on the surface of Venus are 400C and 90 atmospheres of pressure. Amazonian pitcher plants...http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htmFri, 23 Jan 2009 13:43:44 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:25112rommie37http://www.englishforums.com/English/WhatIsMorality/zbpd/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments28-25112.xmlNow here's a straightforward question. What is morality? Is it a personal code of conduct? Is it in some sense absolute? I would be very interested in understanding where the various participants in this forum are coming from on this one, as I hope it will help me to understand how people reach the conclusions they do. So I'll start by answering my own question, from my point of view. I take as an axiom the standpoint that is it wrong to impose one's will upon another without their consent. Violation of this axiom I consider "harm". It comes, of course, from the selfish standpoint that I don't want anyone imposing their will upon me, against my will, and from there I extrapolate that to others. It is, in a way, a more general version...