We live in a world of wrong and right, black and white… constantly confronting situations where we have to choose and decide which path to take. Sometimes this predicament of the human existence reminds me of ‘The Road not Taken’ by Robert Frost. What theory of Human Development makes a person what they are? Why does a person do what they do? Where does personality come from and how does it grow? These are some frequently asked questions when discussing the topic of personality. Personality does originate from a specific point, and from then on it continues to grow and become exponentially more complex. There are some commonly made assumptions when developing a personality theory. The first of these assumptions concerns whether one believes that the behaviors, any type of action, a person exhibits are produced by conscious choices and decisions, also known as free will, or “determined” by forces beyond ones control. I believe in the free will explanation, but not the type of free will commonly imagined. Humans do ultimately have the power to choose their actions, however the extreme influence of other factors, such as heredity, environment, and learned behaviors, may make it seem like a person’s actions were predetermined. For that reason, it can be assumed that human beings do have free will, however the choices made are greatly impacted and seemingly determined by inherited basic needs, environment, and learned behaviors.
All functioning societies have a code of morals that are established to distinguish what is right and wrong. This code of morals relates to almost everything in societies such as government strategy, laws and tradition. These understood and shared morals are the base of the community because without them the society would fall apart, morals are part of our lives every day and they keep order and maintain fairness. Although many ethics can be accepted by all many are not.
The Essay on Effects Of Evolution On Human Society
Effects of Evolution on Human Society The basic law of Darwinist concept of evolution is that simpler forms of life evolve into organisms that are more complex. If we look at social progress, it will appear that it follows the same pattern - from slavery to feudalism and from feudalism to capitalism. Now we live at the beginning of post-industrial era. Therefore, we can say that biological and ...
Would culture or tradition be my ultimate moral authority? Any individual in a functioning society signifies and represents idealism and hope. Every generation charts out its own course to realize its dreams and aspirations in life. Meanwhile it is the perpetual responsibility of the elders to assist the youths in growing up and in becoming familiar with the eternal human values. It is this cycle of passing on the cultural, social and traditional values that lets the society evolve and develop. But the question arises when we go from the micro to macro. At a global level my knowledge of the history and heritage of Pakistan would not be such a useful tool. It might give me a feeling of continuity and motivate me to assume responsibility to take the lineage ahead, but it will not be able to answer questions I might have while being a part of another society. For example kissing between partners in public is an accepted practice in the west but in Pakistan it is severely condemned and looked down upon. Drinking is another example of one such practice. So I believe that cultural or traditional values cannot be the ultimate moral authority.
The argument for morality being dependent on religion relies heavily on Divine Command Theory, which suggests that morals are only true by the virtue of being commanded by God. Often those who to hold this view ask ‘Without religion, what is the reason for being good?’. Religion appears to strengthen morality, and provide people with reason to be moral. Dostoyevsky explores this notion in The Brothers Karamazov where the character Ivan says ‘without religion everything is permitted’. This suggests that the very fact religion provides moral absolutes and guidelines, morality is preserved. As Owen would say, ‘if morals are commands by definition, there must be a commander’. This commander could be said to be God, without whom we would not need to justify acting morally at all. Society is an ideal example of where authority is a necessity, as without it there be chaos, and no coherence. Similarly, without God as an authoritative power controlling morality, the whole concept of it will be in disarray. Without religion, and this authority it possess, moral actions would be meaningless and nugatory. Such arguments will also encompass the idea of conscience. This conscience would be said to be a direct result of God and religion providing the human race with the ability to feel guilt and responsibility.
The Essay on Religion And Its Impact On Society
Religion and its Impact on Society Karen Armstrong, a former Catholic nun, considers that the religion has great positive impact on the modern society. With the aid of religion you acknowledge something more important you bridge your personal constraints, social restrictions and frailty, located on the one side, and the other angle of absolute values on the other side. In other words, the ...
The argument against morality being dependent on religion, immediately refutes the notion that it is principally God and Religion which serve as the basis for morality. Lucretius wrote ‘such deeds could religion provoke’, emphasizing how religion has been the source of many evils and immorality in the past through events such as the crusades. The fact that there are many humanists and atheists with strong ethical beliefs, demonstrated by charities such as Oxfam, could similarly show how morality is not in fact dependent on religion. They may even argue, that if morality is found upon authority(God), it automatically becomes arbitrary, as such an authority could have easily directed something immoral such as ‘hate thy neighbor’, and this command would have gone on and taken a moral status. Furthermore, there are numerous non-religious reasons to be moral.
Autonomy is also another source for morality, where each individual is accountable for their own opinion, without the influence of God, and with a degree of objectivity. Thus, it could be argued that morality is the result of egocentrism of the human race, which strives for self-preservation, so finds it essential to form a sense of morality in order to build civilized societies in which it can survive. The question thus arises, is religion, bible or God the ultimate source of moral authority in my life? I can safely say, no. The reasons being simpler that I thought. Primarily I am not a radical in my beliefs and I like to leave the window open for doubt to play the devil’s advocate, and in many cases I end up choosing the other side. Further religion alone can solve the intricate issues faced by society based on cultural values established eons ago. Sometime back during my stay in New York, I had a unique cultural experience. I was eating out with a friend. At the end of the dinner, I insisted to pay for both of us. Why? Well because I had grown up learning that it is rude to let the lady pay. After some friendly argument and reflection she finally said ‘Fine, you can pay but don’t expect me to sleep with you’. For a good sometime I was perplexed and embarrassed by the scenario. I explained to her that I had been taught that when eating with a woman you don’t let her pay. I was amazed at how a normal practice of eating out had such different cultural patterns. Well I learnt my lesson and made sure I don’t pay again for a woman; of course if I have a different agenda!
The Essay on Morality And Religion Debate
In an organized religion debate, Alan Dershowitz and Alan Keyes contended many issues on religion and morality. Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor, believed that "morality can be maintained without religion." He also stated that it must be maintained without religion because times have changed. He said that if religion is not separated from state it could have severe damage, such as the ...
The word of God does tell me to do the right thing, but sometimes what I think is right might not be right for the other. So I can safely say that the Bible, the word of God is not the final authority for my moral judgments.
The little voice in my head- first of where does that come from? Who is that? What is the source of its judgments? These are all questions that pop in your head once you notice that little voice in your head. Well in my own personal understanding, it is the collective knowledge that I have gathered from the world around me since the day I was born. It is an extremely abstract source of knowledge and for all intents and purposes could be as unreliable as any other source and above all it can never be completely objective. The fear of it serving an individual intent is always there. Thus this little voice in my head is also not a final authority.
Then what is the moral authority in my life? And my answer to this question would be that a collective influence of the aforesaid different facets of knowledge in this world plays a role in being my moral authority and sometimes all might fail and I would end up adding a new experience to my repertoire.
The Essay on Obedience to Authority
The article is focused on how people think about and react to authorities. The author in particular chronicles his own experiences and a stranger’s experiences in terms of defying authorities and obeying authorities. But at the end of the day, the author admitted that even when defiance to the authorities can be a principled move, it is likewise as dangerous as obeying the authorities. He is ...
