Morality

Running Head: LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE
Morality
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Morality
Morality refers to people’s values and how they use them to decide between what is right or wrong; good or bad. In addition to how we treat one another, it also includes values we apply in everything we do. The morality of an individual is mostly influenced by the culture he belongs to and the way he was brought up. However, not all cultural interpretations of morality can be considered as true morality. True morality refers to actions that do not violate other people, their property, and whatever else that are attached to them (Krockerbocker, 2000). Therefore, we can summarize immorality as actions that harm others, such as killing, cheating, stealing, and other deviant practices. On the other hand, morality is a system used by people to evaluate what is good, desirable, positive and commendable.
The issue of moral relativity comes to mind where morality is considered as a system that is chosen independently by an individual or the society at large. Moral relativity implies that people do not have absolute morals or finite truths that are applicable in all situations. Moral relativism does not mean that people are at liberty to deviate from norms, but it recognizes the importance of intentional creation and human cognition. People from different cultures have different perceptions of morality and this leads us to the conclusion that absolute morality does not exist (Nutimentia, nd). Absolute moral standards dictated to people by kings, gods or spirit is a fallacy, since morality is made up infinite standards, developed and affirmed by people.
On common misconception on moral relativism is that it is considered to imply that all moral standards are equal. Moral relativism does not consider all morals as equally desirable, or that the desirability of a moral system cannot be evaluated. It simply means that absolute moral systems do not exist. We should discard the perception that a certain system (mostly the one we subscribe to) is the most appropriate. People cannot be stopped for believing that their moral system is the best for them, but this does not give the right to believe that it’s the best for other people. Moral relativism takes into consideration the uniqueness of people’s values and behaviors, the practices that enable them to live in harmony.
Problems usually arise when individuals refuse to recognize that morals are not absolute. This makes people to take a single perspective on what is good and bad leading to a collision when a person takes a different perspective. When they are made to consider other peoples interest and contributions in establishing a moral standard, they get weary thinking that it would erode an entire system on what is right and wrong. Acknowledging that morality is relative does not imply that moral standards are eroded, or that stealing, murder and slavery cannot be condemned on moral grounds (Krockerbocker , 2000). What you consider right may or may not work for other people. However, certain elements of the moral system could be widely accepted by everyone such that they are considered as a moral “fact”, but the true relative nature is not a...