Synopsis
This chapter proves that discussing moral issues and personal decisions is not an easy task because most people remain unaware of their deep moral values and the reasons for choices. Ethics and morals are the major principles that determine interpersonal relationships, obligations, and wants, and there is no critical difference in their meaning.
To guide their decision-making, young people should address their moral compasses, according to which morality turns out to be a priority and ethics is reason-based. The author underlines that it is an individual choice for everyone to be a moral person or not. However, when a clear understanding of the moral code or compass is developed, several rules cannot be ignored.
Individuals need to take responsibility for their moral choices, promote happiness, follow informed intuition, and discover the natural law. Improvements and self-growth are encouraged to ensure that people understand and apply available resources for their ethical advancement.
Quotes
- “We are not aware of the deeper moral values that drive our choices, and we may even be oblivious to the fact that the choices we are making have a moral component.” (p. 374)
- “Ethics and morality are concerned with helping people evaluate how the world ought to be and what courses of action people should take.” (p. 374)
- “Thinking critically about moral issues often entails engagement with social and cultural norms.” (p. 375)
- “The morally right course of action is that which brings the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people.” (p. 384)
- “We need to develop an indepth understanding of the essential nature of human beings, not simply as they currently are, but as they could be if they were fully morally developed.” (p. 398)
- “Becoming a morally enlightened person-a person of character, compassion, and integrity is a hard-won series of accomplishments, not a one-time achievement.” (p. 399).
Personal Response
Reading texts about ethical issues, morality, and the quality of interpersonal relationships in this context is always interesting and even challenging. I must admit that few people clearly understand the differences between morally acceptable actions and societal restrictions. Thus, the chosen chapter contributes to a better examination of the connection between values, ethics, morals, and human nature. The author creates a strong background and explains that not all people are usually aware of how deep their moral values that drive decision-making can be (Chaffee 374). Besides, he makes several strong arguments about the similarities and differences between ethics and morality to help people evaluate the world (Chaffee 374). Thus, I have learned that it is wrong to base my judgments of people on my first impressions. Happiness is a vital part of the moral compass, and different factors contribute to positive feelings. The thing that seems to be bad for one person can be a salvation for another.
At first, I thought that it could be challenging to find a practical application to such philosophical and theoretical ideas. However, Chaffee does not only give some recommendations or establish rules but shows how to answer the questions within the frames of the moral compass. In my life, the number of decisions I should make independently grows considerably. I need to create a solid moral background and be ready to evaluate my actions in relation to the decisions or words of other people. This chapter is a good contribution to my ethical and moral development. When deciding on my future or recent achievements, I am usually interested in what other people, like my parents or friends, would think of me. Now, I want to pay more attention to the factors that make me happy because I know that happiness is a significant part of the ethical system, and it cannot be ignored. There is nothing wrong with doing something that makes me happy and satisfied. The only thing is not to ignore other elements of the moral compass like responsibility, the natural law, care, and justice.
Bibliography
Chaffee, John. “Thinking Critically About Moral Issues.” Thinking Critically. 12th ed., Cengage, 2019, pp. 373-418.