What is morality? What is the meaning of ethics? Learn the moral definition and moral principle examples. See the types of morality and important theorists.
Updated: 08/25/2021
What is Morality?
What is Morality?
Morality from the Latin moralis, meaning customs or manners, is the area of ethics that focuses on an existing set of values adopted by a society or culture, and whether an action aligns with those values or violates them in some way.
Morality is concerned with the idea of what is good, based on five classical considerations:
- Pleasure
- Happiness
- Excellence
- Creativity
- Harmony
Morality falls under the discipline of philosophy, which is the study of the nature, causes, and principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning. Concepts of morality are subjective (based on individual or societal perceptions) rather than objective (based on facts and reason) and is the human attempt to define right and wrong in thought and behavior.
The main branches of philosophy and their area of focus are:
- Ethics: How do we judge good vs. evil, right vs. wrong?
- Aesthetics: How do we judge beauty?
- Epistemology: How do we know anything?
- Metaphysics: How do we know what is real?
- Logic: How do we reason and form valid arguments?
Moral standards are values that a society uses to determine reasonable, correct, or acceptable. Some standards are universally accepted; for example, most societies believe killing is wrong, but some make an exception for killing in a war fought to protect the country or killing in self-defense.
Some standards are not universally accepted, such as whether euthanasia, abortion, or the death penalty are morally acceptable and under what circumstances. Additionally, codes of conduct, such as civil behavior or good manners, also vary from one society to another.
Other moral standards are more open to individual interpretation, such as how to raise children responsibly. For example, most people would agree about basics such as providing a safe environment, food, shelter, and education. At the same time, many might disagree about the morals behind how to discipline their children.
What is Morality?
What would you do if you found $50,000 dollars in a bank bag on the way home from work tonight? Would you turn it in and hope for a reward? Or would you keep it for yourself? Or would you just keep it for 24 hours so you could roll around in it for a while before returning it? Our answer speaks of our morality; of what we think is the right thing to do.
So what is morality? The simplest answer is that morality is the human attempt to define what is right and wrong about our actions and thoughts, and what is good and bad about our being who we are. But that's not really all that simple, is it? Philosophers have been attempting to provide answers to this question for thousands of years! Perhaps if we stand upon their shoulders and look at this question we can find some answers that will be meaningful for us.
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Moral Principles Definition and Theory
Moral principles are the foundational beliefs behind moral standards. For example, the principle of equality is the belief that every person has the same rights and that no life is inherently worth more or less than another. This principle gives rise to moral standards ranging across many specific topics and issues, such as fair treatment under the law and workers' rights.
Morality and Culture
Views of morality vary from one culture to another because they are shaped by varying influences. History and tradition have a powerful influence on some cultures, which preserve their identity through longstanding practices and beliefs, including a shared vision of right and wrong. For example, moral principles about women's roles may be strongly defined and unique to the culture, though they vary differently from perceptions in other cultures.
Religious influence, including dogma that defines sin or wrongdoing, may grow or diminish within a culture, and experience may influence the moral principles of culture; an example is the Holocaust and its effect on perceptions of the dangers of tolerating racism.
Morals and Ethics
Morality is a subset of ethics, a branch of philosophy that approaches right and wrong issues through logic and reason. Morality is concerned with individuals and communities' right and wrong behavior, who may draw their moral standards from philosophy, religion, history, cultural traditions, or a combination of these areas.
Types of Morality
- Descriptive morality refers to any given culture's beliefs about what constitutes moral behavior for the group and individuals, covering most aspects of existence from proper or correct ways to conduct all human activities such as interpersonal relationships, governance, business, and education. Descriptive morality is relative to the culture and individual.
- Normative morality concerns objective questioning of right and wrong, rather than subjective cultural standards.
Religious Morality
Religious morality usually derives from or is influenced by received wisdom such as sacred texts rather than rationality, experience, or empathy. Religious morality standards may include areas not covered in secular moral standards, such as specific dietary rules, gender-specific prohibitions, and beliefs about sexuality.
Humanist Morality
Humanist morality standards are derived from reason and informed by human empathy rather than received wisdom from a deity. For example, humanists do not believe in any inherent wrong in homosexuality; by basing their belief on the view of medical and psychiatric professionals that homosexuality is not a mental illness or flaw, but rather one of a range of normal human sexuality. To humanists, reason dictates that behavior that does not harm others should not be considered immoral.
Moral Principles Examples
Moral principles are the foundational beliefs on which moral standards and behaviors rest. They include beliefs as the right of all people to equality and justice under the law, the rule of reciprocity, the Golden Rule, and the duty of protecting the weak and vulnerable.
Example 1
The evolution of human rights has been a process of challenges to existing moral standards. Much progress has been achieved by individuals who placed moral principles above the existing law.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and derived his stance from several moral principles, including:
- The principle of equality of all people
- The principle of challenging unjust laws
- The principle of non-violence as a moral path to social change
Dr. King drew on Judeo-Christian teachings, philosophy, political theory, the U.S. Constitution, and historical precedence when deciding the course of his successful leadership in the Civil Rights movement.
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Example 2
The moral principle of fair play that reasonable rules govern competition and respect is shown to those rules, judges, and all competitors have often been exemplified in the conduct of events such as the Olympics.
This principle rejects cheating or deception being used to help secure a victory. At times, fair play can transcend rules. One example is the case of Olympian Lanny Bassham, who won the gold medal for sharpshooting in the 1976 Summer Olympics but decided to share his award with his competitor Margaret Murdock, whom Bassham believed had done just as well he did in the competition. Murdock was awarded the silver medal based on what Bassham considered a technicality rather than less skill. In this case, Bassham's belief in the principle of fair play transcended his support of specific details in the competition rules.
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Example 3
Shared moral principles can ensure cooperation and survival in community members when they act together in the face of danger. The emergency landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in January 2009 is an example of shared moral principles. While the aircraft was sinking, the passengers remained calm and helped one another exit the plane, giving particular assistance to the very young and very old. As a result, all survived a situation that could easily have been a major disaster with total loss of life. Their choices and behavior stemmed from the valued moral principle that in times of need, people help one another and primarily ensure the safety of the most vulnerable.
The Role of Morality in Society
Morality benefits society because the framework of a set of moral standards supports protection, cohesion, and cooperation. A shared morality is part of the foundation of any society, from a small tribal culture where every individual benefits from adhering to the same rules about behavior to a large nation with complex legal systems that align with moral principles.
The purpose of moral standards:
- Helps safeguard life and property
- Provides a foundation for legal and judicial systems to deal with destructive behavior
- Provides a sense of unity to society
- Serves as a guide to deal with new issues that arise as society progresses and grows.
The Legal System
Any nation's legal system derives from its social morals. Not all moral standards are enforced by a legal or judicial system, except in more authoritarian societies; these systems reflect, support, and protect many moral standards while relying heavily on reason and the protection of rights, as defined by the society.
Politics
Politics depends on a solid moral foundation in order to operate. The three moral principles of equality: honesty, transparency, and sound, are critical to the functioning of democracy.
Lesson Summary
Morality is a system or set of ideas about right vs. wrong and good vs. evil behavior; it is subjective rather than objective, and is part of the philosophical study of ethics. Throughout history, philosophers and scholars have explored ethics and morality and understood and practiced in specific social contexts.
Morality is concerned with the idea of what is good, based on five classical considerations:
- Pleasure
- Happiness
- Excellence
- Creativity
- Harmony
Moral standards are values that a society uses to determine reasonable, correct, or acceptable. At the same time, moral principles are the foundational beliefs behind moral standards. Societies benefit from moral standards, while legal and political systems reflect these standards but do not attempt to enforce all or most moral standards.
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What is Good?
We must begin with a foundation upon which to build our understanding of morality, so let's begin with defining what is meant by 'good.' After all, that seems to be the focal point of understanding morality; understanding what it means to be good.
Lots of things are referred to as good. Food is good. Sleep is good. Playing games and hanging out with friends is good. Chocolate is good! Actually, chocolate is very good. But a list of things we personally find to be good doesn't offer much help in understanding morality, or what it means to be good. So, we need a baseline of fundamental ideas in order to shape our understanding of goodness. So, what is necessary for something to be considered good? Classical ideas break it down into five different elements.
Pleasure
Without pleasure, nothing can be truly enjoyable. In order for anything to be good, we must enjoy it. Now this doesn't simply mean, 'If it feels good do it' kind of pleasures. We have to understand that there are long-term ramifications and that we can impact others with our pursuit of pleasures. So, what the pleasure philosophers are speaking of is the idea of higher pleasures and an effort to ensure long-term pleasures. Perhaps you enjoy a fine brew from the local pub? That can certainly be a pleasure to some. But what happens if you enjoy too many of those brews? Well, the morning after can be very unpleasant, indeed, and pleasure goes right down the toilet, so to speak.
Happiness
We all wish to be happy. If our idea of good didn't include getting to be happy, then why in the world would we pursue it? Happiness, like pleasure, isn't simply for the moment but rather the search for long-term and personally meaningful happiness.
Excellence
This is a higher form of pleasure that leads to a deeper satisfaction in life. Take movies, for example. We all have our favorites, but we can certainly acknowledge that there are some films that are really very good. However, there are some that stand out as excellent.
Creativity
All beings need an opportunity to create, even if that which they create is another being through procreation. Creativity is considered a necessary element within the definition of goodness.
Harmony
Finally, we must all be able to have the chance to enjoy our pursuits of pleasure, happiness, excellence, and creativity. Without harmony and peace, we have very little chance to experience any of the other elements of goodness. Imagine if you were a child in a war-torn country where each day the threat of violence was prevalent. Would you be focused on happiness? Or would you just be focused on survival? Thus to be good, to be moral, one must have the opportunity to pursue it.
How Do We Be Moral?
Here's where the ideas of morality get a bit more complicated. After all, we all don't agree on what is good, so how can we agree on what is the right thing to do in order to experience goodness? Some people, when defining 'good,' focus on personal gain, while others believe we should all work for the betterment of all.
How we can be moral and how we understand morality is determined by many factors; the environment in which we develop, the philosophies and perspectives we are exposed to in our lifetimes, and our personal experiences with happiness and unhappiness and what we see as the causes for both.
Morality and Ethics
Many philosophers have attempted to guide us in our quest for morality and moral behavior. Some offered simple guidelines and rules for our behavior. We often refer to these as ethics.
Ethics and morality are considered synonyms by many scholars. Other philosophers and great thinkers have instructed us to pursue our own moral intuitions, or find goodness in fulfilling our duties, or that morality is found simply by obeying the rules set down by a divine being. Regardless of what is the basis for these theories of ethics, they all have the same goals in mind; promoting what is good.
Differences in Opinion
Clearly with so many philosophers and philosophies there will be some disagreement as to which is the proper way to pursue morality and moral behavior. There are those who claim that morality and moral rules are absolutes, something that is outside of human preferences and beyond questioning. In other words, that there are some things that are always good and some that are always bad.
Others believe that morality is relative to the situation, the individual, the society, and so on. Perhaps it is a little bit of both. We can most likely agree that some cultural elements are indeed relative (ideas about what age people should become married, for example), but there are lines that an overwhelming majority of people, perhaps all, even from differing cultures, would not cross. While we all might agree that 14-years old is young to be marrying in the United States, other cultures and societies allow it and even see it as a good thing. However, it is difficult for all humans to see murdering of innocents as a good and moral thing.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. Morality is the standard by which we determine what is good. While many of us are going to have different definitions of the idea of good, there are some fundamental criteria that must be satisfied. These criteria are the ideals of pleasure, happiness, excellence, creativity, and harmony. These still leave a great deal open for interpretation, however, and many different philosophers have tried to guide us in our moral behavior through their theories on ethics and morality. While some may point to divine guidance, others have found their morality in lessons of pure reason, personal intuition, and even personal gain. This raises the question of whether or not morality is an absolute quality, with rules and ideas that are not to be questioned, or if morality is simply relative, a human construct and, therefore, open to interpretation by individuals and societies.
A Look at Morality
 |
- Morality is the standard by which we determine what is good.
- According to classical ideals, being good has five elements: pleasure, happiness, excellence, creativity and harmony.
- Ethics are the rules we use to guide our moral behaviors.
- An argument can be made as to whether moral behavior is absolute and unaffected by context or whether it is relative to the situation.
Learning Outcomes
Test your ability to achieve these objectives after studying this lesson on morality:
- Provide a basic definition of morality
- Discuss the five elements associated with being good
- Highlight the factors that help us to choose moral behavior
- Explain the role of ethics in moral behavior
- State the arguments for morality as absolute or relative
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Video Transcript
What is Morality?
What would you do if you found $50,000 dollars in a bank bag on the way home from work tonight? Would you turn it in and hope for a reward? Or would you keep it for yourself? Or would you just keep it for 24 hours so you could roll around in it for a while before returning it? Our answer speaks of our morality; of what we think is the right thing to do.
So what is morality? The simplest answer is that morality is the human attempt to define what is right and wrong about our actions and thoughts, and what is good and bad about our being who we are. But that's not really all that simple, is it? Philosophers have been attempting to provide answers to this question for thousands of years! Perhaps if we stand upon their shoulders and look at this question we can find some answers that will be meaningful for us.
|
What is Good?
We must begin with a foundation upon which to build our understanding of morality, so let's begin with defining what is meant by 'good.' After all, that seems to be the focal point of understanding morality; understanding what it means to be good.
Lots of things are referred to as good. Food is good. Sleep is good. Playing games and hanging out with friends is good. Chocolate is good! Actually, chocolate is very good. But a list of things we personally find to be good doesn't offer much help in understanding morality, or what it means to be good. So, we need a baseline of fundamental ideas in order to shape our understanding of goodness. So, what is necessary for something to be considered good? Classical ideas break it down into five different elements.
Pleasure
Without pleasure, nothing can be truly enjoyable. In order for anything to be good, we must enjoy it. Now this doesn't simply mean, 'If it feels good do it' kind of pleasures. We have to understand that there are long-term ramifications and that we can impact others with our pursuit of pleasures. So, what the pleasure philosophers are speaking of is the idea of higher pleasures and an effort to ensure long-term pleasures. Perhaps you enjoy a fine brew from the local pub? That can certainly be a pleasure to some. But what happens if you enjoy too many of those brews? Well, the morning after can be very unpleasant, indeed, and pleasure goes right down the toilet, so to speak.
Happiness
We all wish to be happy. If our idea of good didn't include getting to be happy, then why in the world would we pursue it? Happiness, like pleasure, isn't simply for the moment but rather the search for long-term and personally meaningful happiness.
Excellence
This is a higher form of pleasure that leads to a deeper satisfaction in life. Take movies, for example. We all have our favorites, but we can certainly acknowledge that there are some films that are really very good. However, there are some that stand out as excellent.
Creativity
All beings need an opportunity to create, even if that which they create is another being through procreation. Creativity is considered a necessary element within the definition of goodness.
Harmony
Finally, we must all be able to have the chance to enjoy our pursuits of pleasure, happiness, excellence, and creativity. Without harmony and peace, we have very little chance to experience any of the other elements of goodness. Imagine if you were a child in a war-torn country where each day the threat of violence was prevalent. Would you be focused on happiness? Or would you just be focused on survival? Thus to be good, to be moral, one must have the opportunity to pursue it.
How Do We Be Moral?
Here's where the ideas of morality get a bit more complicated. After all, we all don't agree on what is good, so how can we agree on what is the right thing to do in order to experience goodness? Some people, when defining 'good,' focus on personal gain, while others believe we should all work for the betterment of all.
How we can be moral and how we understand morality is determined by many factors; the environment in which we develop, the philosophies and perspectives we are exposed to in our lifetimes, and our personal experiences with happiness and unhappiness and what we see as the causes for both.
Morality and Ethics
Many philosophers have attempted to guide us in our quest for morality and moral behavior. Some offered simple guidelines and rules for our behavior. We often refer to these as ethics.
Ethics and morality are considered synonyms by many scholars. Other philosophers and great thinkers have instructed us to pursue our own moral intuitions, or find goodness in fulfilling our duties, or that morality is found simply by obeying the rules set down by a divine being. Regardless of what is the basis for these theories of ethics, they all have the same goals in mind; promoting what is good.
Differences in Opinion
Clearly with so many philosophers and philosophies there will be some disagreement as to which is the proper way to pursue morality and moral behavior. There are those who claim that morality and moral rules are absolutes, something that is outside of human preferences and beyond questioning. In other words, that there are some things that are always good and some that are always bad.
Others believe that morality is relative to the situation, the individual, the society, and so on. Perhaps it is a little bit of both. We can most likely agree that some cultural elements are indeed relative (ideas about what age people should become married, for example), but there are lines that an overwhelming majority of people, perhaps all, even from differing cultures, would not cross. While we all might agree that 14-years old is young to be marrying in the United States, other cultures and societies allow it and even see it as a good thing. However, it is difficult for all humans to see murdering of innocents as a good and moral thing.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. Morality is the standard by which we determine what is good. While many of us are going to have different definitions of the idea of good, there are some fundamental criteria that must be satisfied. These criteria are the ideals of pleasure, happiness, excellence, creativity, and harmony. These still leave a great deal open for interpretation, however, and many different philosophers have tried to guide us in our moral behavior through their theories on ethics and morality. While some may point to divine guidance, others have found their morality in lessons of pure reason, personal intuition, and even personal gain. This raises the question of whether or not morality is an absolute quality, with rules and ideas that are not to be questioned, or if morality is simply relative, a human construct and, therefore, open to interpretation by individuals and societies.
A Look at Morality
|
- Morality is the standard by which we determine what is good.
- According to classical ideals, being good has five elements: pleasure, happiness, excellence, creativity and harmony.
- Ethics are the rules we use to guide our moral behaviors.
- An argument can be made as to whether moral behavior is absolute and unaffected by context or whether it is relative to the situation.
Learning Outcomes
Test your ability to achieve these objectives after studying this lesson on morality:
- Provide a basic definition of morality
- Discuss the five elements associated with being good
- Highlight the factors that help us to choose moral behavior
- Explain the role of ethics in moral behavior
- State the arguments for morality as absolute or relative
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- Activities
- FAQs
Morality Writing Activity
Discussion Questions
For this activity, respond thoughtfully to the following discussion questions about morality and ethics. For each question, write at least 2-3 sentences. Make sure to answer all parts of the questions and provide specific details whenever possible. Keep in mind that you may need to conduct further research to adequately answer some of these questions.
- In your own words, define the meanings of 'good' and 'bad.' How do these definitions help you to understand morality?
- What is moral relativism? How does this compare to the ethical view known as moral absolutism? Explain.
- Do you believe that some actions or behaviors should always be considered wrong no matter the situation? Explain your thinking.
- Robin Hood is a legendary character known for stealing rich people's money to give to the poor. In your opinion, were Robin Hood's actions morally good or bad? Explain.
A Possible Response to Question #4:
It was good that Robin Hood wanted to help those living in poverty. However, stealing something that is not yours is wrong in almost every situation. In many of the Robin Hood stories, those living in poverty are being mistreated in society. This mistreatment is morally wrong. This fact, however, does not mean that it is now okay for Robin Hood to rob from the rich.
What is an example of morality?
The evolution of human rights has been a process of challenges to existing moral standards. Much progress has been achieved by individuals who placed moral principles above the existing law. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, and derived his stance from a number of moral principles, including the principle of equality if all people; the principle of challenging unjust laws; and the principle of non-violence as a moral path to social change. Dr. King drew on Judeo-Christian teachings, philosophy, political theory, the U.S. Constitution, and historical precedence when deciding the course of his successful leadership in the Civil Rights movement.
What is the definition of morality?
Morality is the human attempt to define what is right and wrong in thought and behavior, resulting in a system or set of ideas about good vs. bad action, and the basis of any individual or community belief in what constitutes good behavior or proper conduct.
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& teaching resources‐all
in one place.
I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. It’s like a teacher waved a magic wand and did the work for me. I feel like it’s a lifeline.
Jennifer B.
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What is Morality? - Examples & Types | Moral Principles
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