Search for morals
What is morality?
Wiki to the rescue:
Morality (from Latin moralitas "manner, character, proper behaviour") refers to the concept of human action which pertains to matters of right and wrong—also referred to as "good and evil"—used within three contexts: individual distinction; systems of valued principles—sometimes called conduct morality—shared within a cultural, religious, secular or philosophical community. Personal morals define and distinguish among right and wrong intentions, motivations or actions, as these have been learned, engendered, or otherwise developed within individuals. By contrast, ethics are more correctly applied as the study of broader social systems within whose context morality exists. Morals define whether I should kill my neighbour Joe when he steals my tractor; ethics define whether it is right or wrong for one person to kill another in a dispute over property.
Makes you wonder after reading it, “Does morality exist?”
Today the end justifies the means and often the term collateral damage comes into play. If you do not know the term collateral damage, then maybe you don’t watch the news. Like the cartoon above people like George Bush are trying to make a change to the world by making inhalers having polluted the world. Like for instance in Iraq where the civilian killings by Americans would outnumber what Saddam did in one lifetime, but the Iraqi deaths are just mere statistics, a number, a small price to pay for a supposedly better world. It never occurs to Bush that flesh and blood are the same irrespective of what flag they come under.
But why blame Bush, all of us have this streak in us, every time we trample over someone to reach our narrow goal we are as guilty as Bush himself. We never pay any attention to the collateral damage we leave behind. Often a trivial instance like a motorist going on the wrong side causes a traffic jam by blocking the incoming traffic, today these traffic jams are so commonplace. The selfishness of this motorist to break the rule and surge ahead unmindful of the others invariably makes so many others suffer. I shudder to think what the plight of a patient in an ambulance stuck in such a jam will be?
Yesterday I was stuck in a horrendous traffic jam simply because every other motorist was on the wrong side and the entire GST road was blocked. The poor traffic cops had virtually no chance as they had absolutely no control of the situation.
Why are we so heartless and so selfish? What kind of values do we carry? What values do we hand over to our children?
Where is morality?
People nowadays have a wrong perception of survival of the fittest. Being selfish and immoral to get their own work done is their primary goal and motive for a living.
ReplyDeleteWe fail to understand the bigger picture and what is more important. We have forgotten to define morality and out own take on it. We just live w/o any principles!
utilitarian principle should be used when ever necessary.. In such cases morality has to be compromised with character and attitude ...
ReplyDeleteAn idealist, as I am.
ReplyDelete:)
Come to think of it and it could be a pain !But if there are 70% of people in a society who care a shit about being disciplined, the good news is that we still have the other 30% and in a country like ours, that's how it always is ! Perhaps it'll take another few generations and necessities to turn our traffic like American. But what we can do in the least is not to get dragged to the wroing side because it's too crowded there but stick to the right side of the road and there'll be an army to follow !
ReplyDeleteand yet there are times when one sees such high examples of morality it reinforces your faith in goodness.....
ReplyDeletecool it bro! what vehicle do u drive
ReplyDelete@ Mahatma: I drive a Wagon R or a Suzuki Fiero
ReplyDelete