My personal moral code is to cling to the eternally long system of values that humans have developed. Because morality has a standard in which people must follow, this standard of morality that I would like to adopt is to follow the standard of “goodness” in which humans have developed since time immemorial. This “goodness” includes specific human values that make us distinct from other animal species on this world, it is a distinct feature that differ human beings form the animals, this goodness is also the one that is responsible for our continual existence, adaptation and survival in this world, it is a product of a long process of development that started since the human brain evolved into what it is now. Goodness are values, values that we have as human being, a power that is only unique to us. It include values such as kindness, honesty, trust, understanding, love, respect, freedom, riotousness, submission, charity, unity and many innately human traits that makes us unique from others. Once we have established the kind of goodness we have or simply followed our uniquely inherent potential, decision regarding moral issues would be quite easier. Decisions regarding morality, simply based by these values like clinging to the value of honesty or love, then a moral issue would be quite easier to justify. This standard could also be called” humanity:”, being human as a self perfecting, self progressing being that would never depreciate through time.
In the question whether this humanity standard would alienate our freedom or autonomy, I think this would not, in the contrary, these human values promotes the availability of having the choice not to follow or to follow. As a human being, this standard or values would have the power to be chosen, it is innate in us but it doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone could follow it, anyone could choose not to follow human values, such as love and understanding. Moreover autonomy and freedom is also the part of this standard. Once freedom and autonomy is in the equation on the standard of morality to follow, then I think any decision could be justified. Freedom and autonomy is part of our nature, man is condemned to be free. Following the goodness of humanity is always a choice, Human have the potential to be good; it is inherent in us, however we also have the potential to be bad, as a product of natural evolution, we too have the tendency to be reduced to our original form, the animal or the “object” as I like to call it.
To sum, my philosophical project simply states that when faced by a tough decision, my decision would simply adhere to the inherent human values that we have, my decision would have an aspect of goodness and values imbedded on it. Like decisions based on love, honesty, freedom and many others that makes us human.
Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:43 pm