Posted by dean on March 21, 19100 at 23:00:02:
In Reply to: Re: What is the Origin of Morality? or the Geneology of Morals. posted by Kathy on January 08, 1999 at 00:05:23:
: : For whence does morality come from. Think about this question carefully. For the origin also must be the justification. Take three short examples.
: : Model #1, Divine Laws. Morality was handed down from the gods. From Plato's Euthyphro, or the 10 commandments - the divine law doctrine states that morality is dictated and justified by the Gods. These Gods are smarter and more power than we are. To disregard the divine laws is an act of transgression. These laws are the highest of the land. From these laws we can derive national/kings/criminal laws. These are the laws committed against the collective. And we can derive civil laws. These laws are between individuals. The gods legitimize the truth of the moral code.
: : Model#2 Morality as the universal and rational laws. Ethics defines what ought to be true. It is true because it applies to everyone, and that anyone who is reasonable can see that this is the way to go. Do do otherwise would be ridiculous. This model can also be found in Euthypro. Another version is in John Rawl's a Theory of Justice. In the examination of the ideal state, the legislators must not know their eventual position in the society that they create. They must decide behind a veil of ignorance. Because they do not know the final outcome within their new society, they will choose the most fair, and therefore just society. Like Model#1, morality is a priori to the act.
: : Model #3. Morality is conventional and arises through interaction with people. Instead of God's laws or principles, morality developed from the ground up. Promises can be made between trustworthy people. A network of promises develope. Morality developes as a way to codify, regulate, and make efficient the economy of promise making.
: : Can anyone think of other possibilities from which morality has developed? Or can anyone think about the the models I have given. I'm interested in your ideas.
: There is no origin of morality. It, like truth, lies in the eye of the beholder.
The root of morality lies in man's most basic instinct--survival. We have laws, a set of ethics imposed by the state, that give a sense--however false this sense may be--of security. These laws limit a great deal of transgressions that could be committed against us: murder, theft, adultery, etc. Ethics also are a part of relgious and cultural identity.
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