[3-4] Characteristics of Moral Standards

• Moral standards deal with matters that we think can seriously harm or benefit human beings.
• Moral standards have universal validity.
• Moral standards are generally thought to have particularly overriding importance, that is, people feel they should prevail over other values.
• Moral standards are not established by the decisions of authoritarian bodies.
• ETIQUETTE - Refers to the set of rules or customs that determine the acceptable behaviors in a particular social group
• T/F Etiquette can vary from one culture to another?

  T
• Etiquette, unlike morality, is concerned with form and style rather than right conduct
• Etiquette

  • more arbitrary and culture-based than morality
• Violation of etiquette can lead society to consider you as ill-mannered, impolite, or even uncivilized - but not necessarily immoral.
• Following Etiquette does not necessarily mean acting morally.

  • i.e. Scrupulous observance of rules of etiquette can camouflage moral issues
• The relationship between etiquette and morality is that disregarding or scorning etiquette can be considered immoral in certain circumstances.
• Action that is considered legal is not necessarily moral, and actions that are considered illegal are not necessarily immoral.
• Theory that states that there exists a connection between law and morality.

  Natural Law Theory
• Theory that states that there exists no connection between law and morality.

  Positivist Legal Theory
• Positivist Legal Theory:

  • A law becomes a law depending on the authority that established the law.
• Positivist Legal Theory:

  • It also has undergone the rightful process for the law to be imperative.
• Positivist Legal Theory

  • Morality has no connection with the law because morality can be subjective.
• Positivist Legal Theory:

  • There has to be an objective basis of what we should follow or avoid.
• Positivist Legal Theory:

  • the existence and content of law depends on social facts
  • existence and content of law do not depend on its merits or demerits (whether it lives up to the ideals of justice, democracy, or morality)
• Natural Law Theory:

  • There is a connection between law and morality because there can be presence of unjust laws and authorities.
• Natural Law Theory:

  • Basis of law should always be the moral standards or “what is good for humanity”.
• Natural Law Theory:

  • We cannot remove moral standards when we enact laws.
• What theory states that: “An unjust law is not law at all”?

  Natural Law Theory
• RELIGION - is a set of beliefs and practices that are shared by a group of people
• Religion and morality are distinct.
• Religion:

  • seen as indistinguishable from morality
• Reasons why religion and morality are distinct

  • What is right is something that we learn from our reason.
  • We can know what is right and wrong without religion.
• Is this act right because it is willed by the gods or is it willed by the gods because it is right?

  Euthyphro dilemma
• Euthyphro Dilemma:

  • If the act is right because it is willed by the gods, then it might supress the freedom of people.
• Euthyphro Dilemma:

  • If it is God’s will because it is right, then it will question the very notion of God because he is not the source of what is right and wrong.
• How religion plays an important role in morality:

  • Religion influences the norm and standard of some people
• Religion has the concepts of the afterlife, immortality, soul, and God who is perfectly just which is not found in other systems.
• Concept of Afterlife - “By being immoral, there is something waiting for you after this life”
• (T/F) Only in religion can morality have a genuine foundation.

  T
• Religion provides objectivity

  • Despite different cultural upbringings, there is a stable foundation of morality.
  • If there is no objective right or wrong, there will be chaos.