Thursday, September 22, 2011

The Evolution of Morality

“A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality” (Winston Churchill). A person’s morality stems from the natural instinct to survive. After all if something helps a person to continue living then how could it be wrong, right? However, that is only the base for morality, and as a person progresses through life they change their moralities to fit their own needs. If a man did not change his morality to fit his actions then he would go insane believing he is evil. In, The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak the dilemma of morality and how people twist its meaning is present. Among the characters Liesel, max, and the people in general all have moral compasses that guide them.
In 1939, Germany’s morality took a plunge for the worse. The ideas of right and wrong went from white and black to gray and black. Everyone thought Germany was evil, except for Germany. Even the young and innocent were not safe from the change in morality that Germany went through. As a young child, Liesel, clearly sees the difference between what is good and bad. When she steals her first book she feels bad about taking it from another person who will most likely be looking for it. Liesel understands that what she did is bad, and it is this reason that she is nervous to show the book to Hans. After Liesel steals her first book, and does not receive punishment, she begins to question what exactly is good or bad. Eventually, Liesel manages to twist her morality to fit to her new lifestyle. When she is hungry Liesel steals to help herself. Instead of continuing to suffer by believing stealing is wrong, Liesel does what is only natural, she changes her morality to continue living.
Changing morals to survive is natural and is usually done without conscious thought, however when someone is told something enough times they begin to believe. As a young kid, Max, is never afraid to back up his moral beliefs physically. He says that he is willing to die fighting what he believes in rather than let the Nazis tell him what to do. This moral value leads him through most of his young life. However, when Max is forced to hide in a small basement within his own country he is completely demoralized. Between being told he is a villain by Nazi propaganda and feeling like one by leaving his family, Max starts to believe that he is completely inferior. His moral belief that everyone is equal slips away and he is left with nearly nothing left to guide him in life.
It has been determined over time by many of the greatest thinkers that morality is not decided by any one person but by society as a whole. In, The Book Thief the people generally accept that killing is bad, however they also agree that war is necessary. Where Morality is concerned the difference between these two things is a very thin line. However, for some reason the people see a difference in the two types of killing. Killing outside of war is completely evil, while killing in a war is morally acceptable. Death, the narrator, points out the flaw in this reasoning. Killing is still killing and to say otherwise is almost comedic: “When I glanced back at the plane, the pilot’s open mouth appeared to be smiling. A final dirty joke. Another human punch line” (The Book Thief). When it comes to war, the morals of society change and they accept death almost as a joke.
The concept of morality is ever changing to fit the needs of the people in order to keep them sane. In, The Book Thief, three different people with different moralities are shown adapting their moral beliefs to suit their needs. Whether it be stealing, equality, or death each moral belief is bound to change.


Thursday, September 15, 2011

Does Your Moral Compass Point North?

On my moral compass I have put the four most important things that have helped me to make decisions throughout my life. The points of my moral compass include my family, my friends, loyalty, and baseball. Of these four things my family is the most important to me. Friends can get angry and leave or leave you behind as they go on to further their own life. Your family on the other hand will always be there when you need them. I can always be confident in the fact that when I get lost my family will be there to point me north. From the time you are born you spend more time with your family than anyone else and because of this the morals I have formed are based heavily on those of my family.
Though I know friends will come and go I know they play a large role in my life. They are there to help me make the good decisions as well as some of the bad ones. Whether good or bad for you, they are there to support and help you progress through life, and their input weighs heavily on all decisions you make. Whether or not your friends are as loyal as you believe, loyalty is one of the most important qualities a person can possess.
 When making a decision that will affect other people I always want to make sure my loyalty stays intact. If you are without loyalty, then you might as well consider yourself immoral as well. For if you are willing to betray the trust of another then in very few circumstances can you be right.
 Lastly I consider baseball as something that guides me in my decision making. I have played baseball my entire life and I love it second only to my family. To play baseball my entire life would be a dream come true, and that dream has kept me working hard my entire life. Instead of going out to have fun, I went to the baseball diamond and worked on my hitting. I practice six days a week so that I can be the best. When people ask me why, I love to recite my favorite quote: “No one can stop a home run. No one can understand what it really is, unless you have felt it in your own hands and body.... As the ball makes its high, long arc beyond the playing field, the diamond and the stands suddenly belong to one man. In that brief, brief time, you are free of all demands and complications” (Sadaharu Oh). Anyone who says baseball is boring has never experienced the feeling you get of hitting a homerun off of your rival to tie the game, jogging the bases as your team rushes to greet you. It is that feeling that keeps me making good decisions.
Together it is these four values that have lead me on what I would consider a moral path. I do what I love and I try to help out others along the way. The four values are all linked as well. My loyalty to my family is what reminds me to listen to them, and it is them who keep me working hard at baseball. Along the way my friends have helped to show me my mistakes and keep me on the right path. Well now I have shared everything that has helped me to find my moral path, and to end my blog I will leave you with a quote because someone has already summed up my paper better than I can myself: “If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control” (Marin Luther King Jr.).

Monday, September 12, 2011

Re: Morality copy

What is right or wrong? This is a question that has plagued humanity throughout its entire history and one that continues to be a question today. The truth is that no one can tell you what morality is as every person develops their own sense of morality over time, which is ever changing. Due to this the only way we can determine what morality truly is, is by taking the collective decision of society. What society says is what morality becomes. Today things have become so much more complicated when it comes to what is right and what is wrong. If you travel back five hundred years to the Roman Empire, then a person who kills or steals would, without any doubt, be considered a bad person and be subject to punishment. However, now society’s idea of what morality is, is more than just the actions of the person. Now rather than immediately condemning these trespassers of the law as sinners, we try and understand their reasoning’s for their crimes. Why did that man kill or steal from another human? Was he protecting his family? Or was he desperate just to feel something, anything? Sure the action of killing or stealing in its self is actually immoral, but if he was protecting himself or his family was that not a moral act? The difference between the two train of  thoughts, however, is a very thin line to traverse. That is why for all intents and purposes we have created a body of law to remind us of right and wrong. In turn this same body of power is controlled by society, hence the idea that it is society that decides what is right and what is wrong, which is morality. However, as stated before morality is ever changing and everyone has their own idea of what the true meaning is. For the past two centuries psychologist have studied vigorously to see why there is a difference on the subject of morality. Many argue that it is the environment that influences our ideas, and many others argue that it may actually be genetics. With so many other theories in existence, each with proof of being right, it is impossible to say what causes the change in peoples moral compass. Every country has their own set of morals today because each society differs vastly. Travel back five hundred years to the Roman Empire or travel five hundred years into the future to the golden city of New York, and in each place you will find a new set of morals developed by that times society. Maybe one day mankind will find the true meaning of what is right and wrong, but for now the only morals we have are the ones we set for ourselves.