Moral vs Non-Moral Standards PDF

Moral vs Non-Moral Standards Moral standards are norms of actions believed to be right or wrong. These are set of rules accepted by the society. These standards are values placed on the kinds of objects believed to be good and bad. Something may be considered as moral depending on what the...

Moral vs Non-Moral Standards Moral standards are norms of actions believed to be right or wrong. These are set of rules accepted by the society. These standards are values placed on the kinds of objects believed to be good and bad. Something may be considered as moral depending on what the society says which includes family, friends, school, music, television and even the social media. Moral standards involved serious injuries or benefits, like theft, rape, murder, child abuse, assault, fraud, slander etc. It is moral standards if it is not established by law or legislation. Moral standards rest on the adequacy of the reasons that are taken to support and justify them. Moral standards are preferred to other interest like if a person has a moral obligation to do something like telling the truth or do something good for others even if it conflicts with other non-moral values or self-interest. Moral standards are based on impartial considerations. If it does not evaluate the interest of an individual or group. This is based on a universal standpoint in which everyone’s interest is impartially counted as equal. This is associated with special emotions and a special vocabulary. This means that if you act contrary to a moral standard you will normally feel guilty, ashamed or remorseful or feels bad about yourself. Nonmoral actions or events are areas of interest where moral categories cannot be applied. For example, wondering whether one should eat santol, wear a tie of a specific shade of color, or part your hair on the left side of the head are all usually considered nonmoral issues. Yet there are circumstances where such actions could have moral consequences. But, statements in the sciences (so-called "factual statements") are about nonmoral issues as well. Immoral actions or events are those areas of interest where moral categories do apply and such as kind as to be evil, sinful, or wrong according to some code or theory of ethics. An immoral action then can be defined as a violation of a rule or code of ethics like telling a lie. Any action could be considered immoral based on one rule, code, or theory. On the other hand, to be considered moral or even nonmoral on another rule, code, or theory. Such examples are common from the point of view of sociological or moral relativism. Though most persons do not clearly distinguish between morals (descriptive ethics) and ethics (prescriptive ethics), the foregoing is a compelling reason to do so. Amoral actions are those areas of interest exhibiting indifference to and not abiding by the moral rules or codes of society. What may be considered an amoral action by one person could be considered nonmoral (or even immoral) by a specific society, depending upon the moral code of the society. If a person tells a lie without concern for the moral concepts of a society of what is good and bad, then he has acted amorally. We must notice how such a view makes the use of "amoral" intentional. For example, a sociopath, sometimes called a person without a conscience, and a very young child are called "amoral" because such people have no feeling or understanding of the concepts of right and wrong. If a person tells a lie without concern for the moral rules of society and it is a "white" lie and "white" lies are permissible in that society, then he is acting amorally. Nevertheless, the action is by the rules of that society nonmoral or morally permissible. The "white" lie told in a society where such actions are against the moral code would be considered an immoral action and would be called "wrong." It should be noted that "amoral" is sometimes used in ordinary language in the same way that "nonmoral" is used. Many dictionaries indicate the terms are synonymous. E.g., the American Heritage Dictionary (4th ed. 2000) defines "unmoral" as "1. Having no moral quality; amoral. 2.Unrelated to moral or ethical considerations; nonmoral." In this course, based on the reasons stated above, the distinction between "amoral" and "nonmoral" is observed. To summarize "Amoral" in dictionaries is sometimes defined with reference to value-free situations (neither moral nor immoral). This definition of "amoral" makes it a synonym of "nonmoral." For example, physics would be an amoral discipline in this sense of the term. Nevertheless, in this course we will not follow this ordinary language practice. Instead, we will mark a theoretical difference between the two terms as described above. "Amoral" is also used (in philosophy) in contrast to nonmoral and immoral. Amoral actions would include nonintentional (but not necessarily unintentional) actions. "Nonmoral" actions would be those actions where moral categories (such a right and wrong) cannot be applied (such as matters of fact in scientific descriptions). A nonintentional action such as reflex or an accident would be ordinarily a nonmoral action. An unintentional action resulting from ignorance is sometimes called "nonmoral" and other times called "immoral" depending upon the code of the society as to whether a person is morally responsible for knowledge. From this point of view, amoral actions would be without concern or intention as to moral consequences. Taking a sip of water can be described as nonmoral as well as amoral in the usual dictionary definitions. Nevertheless, in this course of study we term such an action "nonmoral." If, however, the water sipped contains a poison and the subject intentionally sips it with indifference to the wrongness of suicide, then the action would not be described as nonmoral but would be properly called amoral. Seatwork: A. Consider the following situations and determine whether the statement is moral or non- moral 1. Eating while you are having a class. 2. Throwing a garbage in a trash bin. 3. Picking up the balls after the try out. 4. Using you right hand when opening a door. 5. Praying before taking a bath. 6. Removing your shoes while entering the house. 7. Turning the plate around when someone dining is leaving. 8. Returning the cap to the bottle. 9. Wearing black during wake. 10. Waking up a person who is snoring. B. Telling a Secret Your friend tells you that they committed a crime. They explain that they are having trouble sleeping at night and feel you are the only one they can trust with their confession. A few days later, you read in the paper that someone has been arrested for your friend’s crime. Do you (choose one below then justify): 1. Go to the police and tell them what you know? 2. Encourage your friend to confess and warn him if he does not do so, you will tell? 3. Say nothing because you will not betray a friend’s confidence? Assignment: List of Basketball Rules 1. Get a copy of basketball rules. 2. Identify which rules are considered as moral and non-moral 3. What makes them moral and non-moral? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________