WHAT IS MORALITY? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2024

The morality is a set of rules or code by which human beings are governed and allowed to distinguish what is right or wrong, what is good or bad, for proper coexistence among peers.

In a practical sense, one can speak of different types of morality, since this code can vary according to different types of people or societies.

Morality: changes over time

In a descriptive sense, morality is the set of correct moral standards, which, although they may never be universally accepted, should be adopted.

For utilitarian philosophers, such as John Stuart Mill, morality is defined as actions that conform to the principle of utility, that is, if they produce more or less happiness.

History and origins of morality

From the first human social organizations there were sets of behaviors shared by all members.

Religions such as Christianity and Judaism in the West and Buddhism in the East, influenced the creation of this code of norms.

The contributions of the sages of Greco-Roman antiquity were also very important, such as the Maxims of the Seven Sages of Greece and the judicial precedents of the ancient Romans.

As for the origins of morality, there are many controversies today. But in general terms it can be said that morality arises from the fact that primitive man becomes a social being and needs a code of uses and customs to relate to his peers.

Morality according to the different historical periods

It is important to note that the morality of humanity has been transformed according to different historical moments, and that for example, the morality of feudal society was not the same as that of primitive societies.

The morality of primitive man

Basically these primitive societies did not know the meaning of private property and were not organized by social class.

The actions of each individual tended to seek the common good. Collectivist morality, kept the group together and protected from external dangers, which would attack what they considered good or bad.

Feudal morality

The code of moral concepts of this historical period was dictated by the king, chosen by God, the nobles and clergy.

The line between wrong and right, determined by the more privileged social classes, could harm the lower classes, represented by the peasants and serfs.

Modernist morality

In modern times the concept of private property arises and what is correct / incorrect is determined by the set of laws created, the civil code and the penal code, for example, to maintain order and the common good.

Difference between modality and ethics

Although in general terms the words ethics and morality are used synonymously, there are conceptual differences that are important to highlight.

Ethics should refer to correct deeds and behavior, while morality to what is "socially accepted as correct."

Morality is governed by social and cultural norms, while ethics is constituted from individual rules.

The term moral derives from the Greek word 'mos', which refers to the customs determined by a group of people or authority.

The word ethics has its origin in the Greek word 'ethikos' and refers to character, considered as an attribute.

References

1. Surbhi S, “Difference Between Morals and Ethics”, 2015. Retrieved on November 30, 2017 from keydifferences.com.
2. Darwall, Stephen L. (2006): The second-person standpoint. Morality, respect, and accountability. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Retrieved on November 30, 2017 demetapsychology.mentalhelp.net.
3. Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy, 2nd edition. McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1993. Retrieved on November 30, 2017 from newworldencyclopedia.org.
4. Cooper, Neil, 1966, “Two Concepts of Morality,” Philosophy, 41. Retrieved November 30, 2017 from plato.stanford.edu
5. Nietzsche, F. On the Genealogy of Morals. Edited by Walter Kaufmann. New York: Vintage Books, 1989. Retrieved on November 30, 2017 from newworldencyclopedia.org.