Morals, Ethics and Values

One of the definitions of moral in Merriam-Webster is "of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior". People collectively live by a set of morals that define right and wrong behavior, what is moral and what is immoral.

But those morals may change from community to community or country to country. What is moral in one group may be immoral in another. Morals represent the guidelines of accepted behavior in the community in which you live. The laws of a given society are based on the morals of that society.

Families have a great responsibility in teaching morals to children. One of my great frustrations with children is parents that allow children to do things I don't approve of, actions that I would not allow for children. A couple of these are the way some children talk back or argue with their parents or act wild in public places, like restaurants. That could just be the grouchy old man in me. If you have ever seen Jeff Dunham's character Walter, my wife tells me I'm a lot like Walter.

Religions provide a means of educating and maintaining these morals. The teachings of any religion provides the basis for the morals of that religion. What is moral in one religion, may be a sin in another. The consumption of alcohol is one of these items, in some religions it is acceptable and in others it is considered a sin.

As individuals, we may evaluate the actions of others based on the morals of our society. When a person of one society violates the morals of a different society we often see this as immoral. However, it may be perfectly acceptable behavior based on the morals of that persons society.

Ethics is defined as "a set of moral principles : a theory or system of moral values". Collectively, our morals define what is ethical or unethical. Still however, it is based on the context of the society. What is ethical in one society may be unethical in another.

Professional groups may have a set of ethics that govern the behavior of that group. Failure to meet that set of ethics means you don't belong in the group. These professional groups force a set of morals on the individual with the threat of being expelled from the group if you don't live up to them.

One of the definitions of a value is "something (such as a principle or quality) intrinsically valuable or desirable". Values are the group of morals that each individual has found to be intrinsically desirable. Internalizing these values provides a guide for the behavior of the individual.

The ever increasing mixing of societies brings individuals together with different values based on what is ethical in each individuals society. These values may be completely at odds causing conflict between individuals and possible the different societies as well. Developing an understanding of other societies can help in resolving these conflicts. Understanding why a moral is important to one society can help build respect between the two societies.

Living up to our individual values can be difficult. If one has truly internalized their values, failing to meet them can cause personal uneasiness and regret for the action. Sometimes our current situation may make it hard to meet our personal values. If I value the moral of not stealing, is it wrong to steal food when I am starving? Bending one's values based on situation can lead individuals down the wrong path. If's it's ok to steal food when I am starving, shouldn't it also be ok to steal money to buy food?

Our values also provide the basis for the belief in social causes. Individuals evaluate various social causes based on the how they fit into that person's individual values, based on how much value the individual places on a particular moral or group of morals. Sometimes morals can be in conflict with each other. For instance, if I don't believe in abortion because I value human life, can I believe in capital punishment?

Does everyone have values? I don't know, but I tend to think not. I can't imagine what kind of values someone has that plans and commits murder. What kind of values can be used to justify beating children or conning old people out of their money?

Having a strong set of values impacts how we see ourselves, interact with others, what we believe in, and what kind of person we are. Recognizing your particular set of values is not an easy task. It's hard sometimes for an individual to take a look at themselves in the mirror and question what they believe in. One question you may want to think about when picking values is "What kind of person do I want to be?". It may be hard, but it's an exercise everyone should take to their own advantage.