An interested topic was raised during last week’s Dot Com Pho that never made it into the video. Aaron Koo reminded all of us that morals and ethics are all subjective, because being ethical simply means staying true to your values.
We all may beg to differ, but based on this definition, Aaron stated that someone like Adolf Hitler may have been one of the most ethical people on the planet. After all, he remained true to his values (however unethical we may think they were) right to the bitter end.
According to a quick Google search, morality is “concerned with the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character.” Similarly, ethics are the “moral principles that govern a person’s or group’s behavior.” I believe it is the latter part of that statement that is of the greatest importance and where Aaron’s interpretation might not be correct.
Legality and Morality Are Intertwined
You must not only consider your own set of values; you must consider the values of the society that surrounds you. When you get into a discussion of ethics and morals, you have to take it in the context of the prevailing culture. This also leads itself to the laws of the land, since they are defined by the leaders of a given society.
For instance, Canada and the United States have their laws largely based on Christian ideals. One of the Ten Commandments is “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” While adultery is technically legal, polygamy is not. However, there are many cultures around the world where either polygyny (one man, many wives) or polyandry (one woman, many husbands) is deemed the norm.
A Place for Priorities
Even outside of legal ramifications, ethics and morals are very much bound to the culture of the people involved. Again, North American culture is generally more about independence and a “me first” kind of attitude. By contrast, many Asian cultures dictate that you should place the needs of the family ahead of your own. It’s not about you; it’s about the collective.
That’s why it may be appropriate to tell a small lie if it means that your family can “save face” as a result, even if it means that you (as an individual) will be taking a greater hit. Is this the “right” thing to do? It depends on your perspective.
It’s All Relative
Before you pass judgement, you have to remember that morality is relative and it is very much dependent on the prevailing culture. You may not agree with the ethical treatment of animals and that is positively your right. I am not saying that you cannot stand by your viewpoint, but you also need to understand how the competing viewpoint came to be.
Especially since the issue of morality is necessarily connected to the issue of religion (which plays such a large role in defining a culture’s belief systems), it can become a very contentious topic very quickly. Tread carefully.
The definition of morality should also ask the question of, what is good and what is bad or what is right and what is wrong.
If you can’t answer the question of why something is bad or good with out coming back to “it just is” or “it offends me” then I think your values may be a product of centuries of conditioning in a system that advocates a certain way of thinking which makes it difficult to understand the idea of good and bad being relative.
Ethics and morals may be very much bound to the culture of the people involved, but does not make it ethical.
For example, bribery may be the norm in certain societies. The act may be acceptable to those in the communities, but it doesn’t make it ethical to offer a bribe.
As the world becomes more and more interconnected, nations of diverse values and cultures will have more dealings with each other, and that’s when relativity of moral and ethical values will have to be adequately dealt with.
Great points. I always wonder about this whole classification of good and bad that we humans have created for ourselves. In the grand scheme of the universe, there is no such difference, if you think about it. But in order to function effectively in a society, I guess we do need to set guidelines for what is acceptable behavior and what is not, and thus the birth of good and bad. And those guidelines are bound to vary from place to place like it is today.
Ultimately, the best one can do is stay within the morals and ethics of their society but at the same time be able to speak up and make a change in those rules if they feel something is wrong.
-Jean
I don’t think if my values are counter intuitive to the norm of society does that make me immoral and/or unethical? It would in societies eyes. In the eye of the beholder he’s doing what he believes is right. Go to any prison. You won’t find a single guilty person. They’re not wrong. They’re just made out to be since they disrupt the flow of what gratifies the bulk of society.
There is a line beyond which good or bad is pretty much obvious for humans, no matter what culture it is. For example, I cannot think of any culture that would not consider someone like a serial killer as being a bad person and worthy of being imprisoned or punished.
-Jean
got to read a post about moral values after a long time . very well written article .
you make a great point here. I some times let it get to me too much. I hold my self to a different standard than most and when people don’t match or exceed my standard i get upset and that isn’t always the best thing you can’t expect everyone to act as if you would nor is it fair to expect it. we all have different morals and standards.