MarkBenozaBenoza1

WaysofKnowing

PhilosophyEssay

4/11/15

ThePointofMorals

Theconceptofmoralshasconstantlybeenquestioned,analyzedandappliedthroughoutour
spanashumanbeingsonthisearth.Multiplephilosophersandscholarshavementionedthe
conceptinavarietyofdiscussions,teachings,andwritingswhichhascreatedavarietyof
complexthoughtssurroundingthetopic.Manyofthesethoughtsconflict,producingdefining
sidesthathaveopposingconclusions.Muchoftheidealssurroundingmoralsissimplyits
purpose,andwhyitshouldeverbeappliedthroughoutthelifeofaneverydayperson.Inorderto
understandthepurposeofmoralityinanindividualslife,onemustcometoadefinitionmorality.
Evenwiththiscomesmanyconflictingidealswhichhavenodefinitiveanswerto.Byusing
readingsandpersonalexperiencesIhavecreatedmyownidealsthatshapethedefinitionof
morality,whichthenleadtowhatitspurposeplays.
Alotofthetimesmoralsareassociatedwithwhathumanbeingsconsiderasgood.Other
associationsincludevirtue,andrighteousness,allfollowingalongthesamelinesaswhatshould
beconsideredasmoral.InColinMcGinnsreading
MoralLiteracyorHowToDoTheRight
Thing
,wegoindepthastowhatshouldbeconsideredgoodcharacter.Oneofthe
characteristicsMcGinnmentionswithwhatisavirtuouspersonissomeonewhoistruthful,

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andthatsomeonewhoisahabitualdeceiverisnotvirtuous.AsMcGinnputsit,anindividual
thatis
truthfulnotonlytoothersbuttothemselves:seekoutandrespectthetruthfortheirown
consumption,notfoolingthemselvesaboutwherethetruthlies.Shewholovesgoodnessalso
lovestruth.(McGinn,96).
Ipersonallyagreewiththispassageseeinghowhonestyhasplayed
outthroughmylife.ReflectingonthetimeswhereIhavebeenhonest,vs.whereIhavenot,Isee
aprettydefinitivecontrast.Manyoftheconsequencesdealingwithhonestyhaveputmefurther
inlife,andhavebeenmoreconstructive.Whileasdishonestyhassetmeback,havingtodeal
withnegativeconsequencesthatmayhaveeasilybeenavoidedifIwasjusthonest.
AnexampleofapersonalexperienceinvolvedoneChristmaswhereIopenedmypresents
early(justtopeak)andrewrappedthemsomyparentswouldnotnotice.Unfortunatelymydad
did,andaskedifIhadopenedthem,Idishonestlytoldhimno.HeknewIwaslying,andwas
moreupsetthatIdidnottellthetruth.IfIhadonlybeenhonestIwouldhavenotreceivedsucha
negativejudgement,andtheconsequenceswouldhavebeenmorepositive.Byhavinghonesty
andtruthfulnessasaqualityitallowsmoreroomforpositiveoutcomesthatrelatebacktowhatis
consideredgood.
Anotherassociationwithvirtueandgoodisthatofindividualswhoperformactivitieswhich
are
centeredaroundethicalconcerns
.Anexampleofthisincludesdoctorshelpingthesick
andneedy,politiciansmakingdecisionsforthebenefitofothers,orvolunteerworkerswhoput
timeoutoftheirdaystofeedthehomelessetc.TheseindividualsasMcGinnmentionsareones
ones
whodevotetheirlivestovirtue,doinglittleelsethancultivatingitandits
products(McGinn,98).
Thisassociationalsomakessenseknowingthatthereisapositive

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outcomeandbenefittowardssociety.Ifanindividualprioritizesothers,andhasthemindsetof
notonlycaringaboutthemselves,buttohumanityasawhole,thenIwouldbelievethatshould
beconsideredaqualityofgoodofvirtueduetoits,againpositiveconsequences.
Amajorityofthetimeasocietywilltendtoconsiderwhatisgoodandwhatisbaddepending
onifitreallymakesapositiveimpacttothemselves,toothers,orjusttheworlditself.For
example,inOregonitisconsideredagooddeedtoorecycle.Intheviewsofpeoplelivingwithin
thissociety,manywillconsiderrecyclinggoodduetotheabilitytosaveresourcesandnot
damagetheenvironment.Thismakessenseinthatthepositivesallhavetheintentionofabetter
situationasawhole.
NowalthoughIhavementionedmultipleexamplesastowhatshouldbeconsideredGood
orvirtuous,theconceptscanstillbeinterpretedfromdifferentpointsofview.Takeinto
examplethereadingCritobyPlato.TheplotlinefollowsthephilosopherSocratesandhis
friendCrito,andtheirdiscussionastoifCritosbreakingSocratesoutofprisonshallbea
morallyjustact.CritobelievesthatthisactionisjustinthesensethatitissparingSocrateslife,
andthatitwouldnotonlysaveSocratesreputationandsake,butCritosaswell.Asstatedby
Crito
Theopinionofthemanymustberegarded,forwhatisnowhappeningshowsthatthey
candothegreatesteviltoanyonewhohaslosttheirgoodopinion(Plato,8).
WhatCritos
meansbythisisthattheopinionofothersshouldbeconsidered,duetothefactthattheycan
affectthereputationofSocratesandCritohimself.

Socratesdisregardsthisasbeingamorally
justreasonbeingthatthe
opinionofmany
doesnotmatter.ForSocrates,theonlyjustactin
escapingisifhehasconsentfromhiscaptives,ifnotthentheactionismorallyunjust.As

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recalled
Ioughtoroughtnottotryandescapewithouttheconsentoftheathenians:andifIam
clearlyrightinescaping,thenIwillmaketheattemptbutifnot,Iwillabstain(Platos,10).
The
pointbeingmadeinthissituationisthatofvirtuebeinginterpretedindifferentlights.Although
bothsituationsmadebeappliedandseenasvirtuous,itwasonlythroughindividual
interpretationthatweseeadefineddifference.
AfteranalyzingandinterpretingwhatshouldbedefinedasMoral,wegetintothereasonof
whymoralityshouldbeapplied.GoingbacktotheMcGinnarticleheanswersthattherereallyis
noreasonforbeingagoodorbadperson.McGinnstatesthat
Thereasonyoushouldbe
virtuousandnotviciousisjustthatvirtueisvirtueandviceisvice.(McGinn,95).
What
McGinnisstating,andwhatIultimatelyagreeuponisthatwhatyougetoutofbeinggood,is
good,andwhatyougetoutofbeingbad,isbad.Therereallyisnoreasonastowhysomeone
shouldbemoral,ratherthereisachoicetobemade.Thereareconsequencesastobeing
someonewhoisvirtuous,examplesincluding
health,wealthandhappiness
(McGinn95).On
thecontraryofthisarealsoconsequencesforbeingvice,andthattheactionsofanonvirtuous
persontakethoseconsequences.Acknowledgingthis,theseconsequencesshouldnottechnically
bereasonsastowhyyoushouldactmorallycorrect.Takeintoexamplethediscussionbetween
SocratesandCrito.
Bothmenwereconsideredmorallycorrect,andincorrectintheirownsense.Thetwo
individualswerehappilycontenttobelievethattheironewaywasmoral.Yettheywerealso
opposingeachotherasgoingthroughwithnonmoralactions.Theendsolutionforthetwowas
thatCritodidnothelpSocratesescape.InSocrates'seyes,thiswasseenasjust,leavinghim

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contentandabletolivetheremainderofhislifehappy.Thisiswhatwasconsideredmorally
correcttoSocratesandhegladlyacceptedtheconsequencesforit.
AsMcGinnagainstates
Logically,itislikethequestionwhyyoushouldcareaboutyour
ownfuturewelfare:becauseyourwelfareisyourwelfare.Nothingmorecanreallybesaidand
ifsomeonejustdoesn'tseeit,thereisnotmuchyoucandotoconvincethem
(McGinn,95).
Thereisnounknownforceastowhyyoushouldactorbemoral.Thepointofbeingmoralis
thatthereisnopoint,youjustetherareoryouarenot.Althoughonthecontrarytheremaybea
pointmadestatingthatthebenefitsofbeingmoralaremorepositive,thatshouldnotbea
determiningfactor.Itisonlyoutofselfwillandchoicethatoneshoulddecidehowtheywantto
act.Ifanindividualwilllikelybenefitmorefrombeingimmoral(orviceversa)thensobeit.As
longasoneiscontentwithwhateverchoicetheydecidetotakeon,thenbeasmoralorimmoral
asmuchasyouwanttobe.

WorkCited

1.) Jowett,PlatoBenjamin.
Plato:"Crito"
NewYork:P.F.Collier&on.Print.
2.) McGinn,Colin.
MoralLiteracy,Or,HowtoDotheRightThing
.London:Duckworth,1992.
Print.