The very fact of morality is one of the oldest and most attractive concepts to humanity. People have adhered to various moral standards and codes that have helped them live together peacefully for centuries. But why should we be morally right? What really drives us to morality?
First of all, being morally right is one of the most essential and basic ethical principles that everyone should adhere to. In any society, this attracts respect and respect for others, regardless of their race, religion, gender, or other factors (Ellemers et al., 2019). Morality helps create a good and attractive environment where everyone feels safe and welcome.
Secondly, morality helps us keep ourselves in check without becoming victims of our emotions and desires. This helps not only to prevent the consequences of rash decisions but also to reject crimes, dishonesty, and other actions that will not positively impact our lives. Adhering to morality helps us to appreciate and adhere to higher values that will help us make more rational and responsible decisions.
Thirdly, morality helps us to understand and achieve higher goals and objectives. Morality inspires us to reject easy options and make more complex but more noble decisions (Ellemers et al., 2019). While an immoral approach to life can lead to dull and unhealthy results, morality helps us achieve more prestigious results and reach higher goals.
To consider how we should relate to others, we must look into the questions of what is good and what actions make people suitable. Whether morality is objective or subjective also has a bearing when considering the question of proper relationships with others (Ellemers et al., 2019). These questions, as well as the opinions on what actions or people make good, will be discussed later.
The answer to what is good will depend on each individual’s perspective. For some people, good actions could include helping others, sharing resources, being honest in judgment, etc. For others, good actions could include finding one’s place in society or using common sense (Ellemers et al., 2019). This makes the actions of a person good or bad for other people.
Many people believe that the main principle for determining whether the actions of people or the people themselves are good is the principle of mutual respect. This means that good actions should give other people a chance to achieve their goals and reach their potential. Such actions can benefit other people, and we should accept and support them (Ellemers et al., 2019). In addition, good actions should be directed at achieving good for a larger number of people, not for the benefit of one person.
There is another question to consider: is morality objective or subjective? This question still makes for a debate among philosophers and other people. The answer depends on how much people are willing to accept and respect others’ views of good and bad. Some people believe that morality is objective and that people’s actions should be judged the same for everyone(Ellemers et al., 2019). Others believe that morality is subjective and that people’s actions can be judged differently depending on the context.
Generally, morality is an essential and basic concept that helps us live in peace, create a good and attractive environment, and adhere to higher values. Our morality gives us the strength and confidence to achieve higher goals in life and be an example for others. Thus, we all should adhere to morality to achieve well-being and good for ourselves and others.
References
Ellemers, N., Van Der Toorn, J., Paunov, Y., & Van Leeuwen, T. (2019). The psychology of morality: A review and analysis of empirical studies published from 1940 through 2017. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 23(4), 332-366.