Right Or Wrong?

[FreedomOverdose 0]

I wish to discuss this concept. I know it's pretty high level and it breaks everything down to basis, but if I manage to get my point across in this thread and therefore get some intelligent replies, it will be worth it.Therefore, let me get to the point:Right or wrong.So, from day 1, as children, we're taught to do what's right, and we're taught what's wrong. Crossing the road when the light is green is right. Not cheating in an exam is right. Respecting everyone is right.Doing drugs is wrong, smoking is wrong(this is a stigma that is attached to smoking), malpractice and plagiarism is wrong.The thing is, who decided all this? I always wondered to myself every now and then. Who defined that this is right and this is wrong? Who decided that what we are taught to do and what we are told is right, is right? And vice versa, what we do is wrong, is wrong, period?Why I'm being very general about this is because I'm looking for some reasons to what people think about the basis of right and wrong. I believe, generally, that right or wrong is a bias - in other words, if you say, for example, that not cheating in an exam is right, you are biased about it - it is RIGHT and that is FINAL, no questions asked.This is a particular maxim that is drilled into many people's heads from the time they grow up. As with doing things that are wrong, for example, murder or extortion, or drug dealing. These are WRONG, final. Who decided all this, or what decided all this, and why is it justified and universally accepted?I want everyone to understand that the purpose of this topic is only to question, and I am not using it as a method to support the "wrong" things that are done - I just want to figure out what everyone thinks about this "bias" of right or wrong, since effectively, you're taking a side when you decide what you're doing is right or wrong, and bias isn't a very good thing usually....The reason why I bring out this topic is also to introduce the concept of logical decisions - whether "right" or "wrong", what is the most "effective" course of action Share your thoughts, I look forward to seeing some intelligent replies. I'm sure I won't be disappointed, believe me, I need some answers to the questions I ask myself.

[Saint_Michael 3]

Well that is a tough questions to answer, regardless that there are many ways to answer it, but a common answer is usually found through religious text and stuff like that. Of course you can't just think if it is right or wrong but rather what it does to a person emotionally I guess. Aesop fables (620?560 BC) are a prime example as to how long have been defining what is right or what is wrong, but of course it goes further that if you go by the Bible in its historical aspect which few claim that the old testament goes back to 10th century BC.However, that is were morals brings in another level as to why answering this question is difficult, because soldiers always are in a moral dilemma when it comes to killing another human being that they never knew and stuff like that. Another level of difficulty is religion itself because that is so grey in what is right or wrong because everything is sin regardless how you look at it. Either way that is why it is up to the individual what is good and what is bad, but remember though there are things that are obviously right or wrong such as murder, stealing, cheating, rape, lying, truth, being polite etc etc.

[rvalkass 5]

Crossing the road when the light is green is right. Not cheating in an exam is right. Respecting everyone is right.

Crossing the road when the green man shows is right simply because it is the safest option. It is not really right in a moral sense of right and wrong, but right because it saves your life. Not cheating in an exam is right mainly on a logical basis, but slightly morally too. The point of an exam is to assess an individual's abilities; if they copy or cheat then you're not assessing their abilities, but their ability to copy. Respecting everyone is a moral decision. Generally I respect everyone to start with, and people gradually gain or lose my respect depending on their actions. Most people do the same. Respect is simply our way of letting people know that we agree with their decision, their actions, their opinions, and hold them in high regard.

Doing drugs is wrong, smoking is wrong(this is a stigma that is attached to smoking), malpractice and plagiarism is wrong.

Doing drugs is wrong because (here in the UK, at least) it's illegal. Generally, people tend to find anything that is illegal also wrong. We are taught this from a young age. However, there are notable exceptions (speeding, copying music, etc.) which people seem to ignore. Smoking is seen as wrong because, if you smoke around people, you are damaging their health for no reason at all. You wouldn't like it if I started pouring tar down your throat - you'd see that as wrong - and smoking is doing that to people. Malpractice and plagarism are wrong as they make the tasks/actions they are associated with pointless (such as plagarising a piece of work - your mark will be pointless) or dangerous (malpractice as a doctor...).

Generally these things are decided by the law and your parents and teachers when you're young. As we get older we form some of our own ideas, but we often have the same principles that we were given all those years ago.

[armondtimesbelize 0]

I definitely agree. Not just with musicians, but with other artistic children of minority minds. I am actually a teenager, and I despise the teaching method of schools, especially prep schools, an empire working to get their students to conform to a standardized way of life through standardized and brainwashing educational methods. They're a big reason why we have a vast majority of drooling masses spawning across the world. The school officials there can have a tendency to spot out anybody who appears different and getting on their backs for their diverse and unique personalities, doing whatever they can to get them to conform to being 'good students' that fit their standards and expectations. An entire class is taught how to play the violin, but Johnny wants to play the electric guitar. Because of this, school officials are convinced that he is diagnosed with a serious mental disorder and must be dealt with immediately.

[Juxt 0]

Maybe these societal morals are embedded into our minds by genetics. Let's say that love comes naturally. Human beings can love without society telling them that they can love. Let's also say that when a loved one dies, or is hurt, humans feel grief naturally as well. Perhaps morality stems from these two conjectures: morality stems from emotions. Murder is wrong because you don't want you or your loved ones to die. Stealing is wrong because it's not fair for someone to take away something you worked hard on. So in all, no one decided these things, it came about naturally.For some of the other things like drugs and smoking, they kill you, so it's wrong. Green lights mean go and red lights mean stop is arbitrary and is just there to prevent people from dying from car accidents.

[joeblogg 0]

there is no right or wrong. there is just the law. there is also easy and hard. people sometimes associate right with hard. the wrong thing maybe easier but spend the effort to the the "right thing". is going on strike to prove a point "right" or "wrong". i think there is no right or wrong there is just the law and personal oppinion. something might not be aggainst the law but they might be doing something which other people have a bad opinion about.

[bishoujo 0]

personally, i define 'right' as something that doesn't harm your own interests or others. 'wrong' as something that harms your own interests or others'.For example, smoking is 'wrong' because you harm your own health and you cause people around you to be passive smokers. Crossing the road during green light is right because you practice road safety and are taking responsibility for your own life and others around you.Then there are some with slightly blurred boundaries, but can still be explained with the above mentioned theory. For example, we typically say that lying is wrong, but when you lie to protect the interests of others without hurting some others, it is right. (to me, that is. I don't know about others). For example, you hide the truth about someone having a fatal disease because you don't want him to take it badly when you drop the bomb on him unprepared. this is considered right in my opinion. But if you are lying to cover your *bottom* and sacrificing someone else in the process e.g. framing someone else for something you did, then that's wrong.

[novic_1223 0]

what you are saying is so very truewe have become bias in many different aspects and keeping an ignorant mind to many thingfor examplewe have made religion into this whole big thing and living our lives by one god and nothing else never thinking that there may not be a god. we have also made it to be bad to not think that there is a god which in itself is bias. in other words, what i am trying to say is thats we ahve to come out of our shells and stop only looking at everything in one direction especially religion becasue it has made all of us fooles..it was supposed to bring us all together but instead it is the one thing that is driving us all appart. i hope we have more smart people that actually think about these things in the world instead of people who just accept everyhting i never stand up for soemthnig else...we may even be wrong about thinknig that people are bias for thinking that. simpy said, keep a wide open mind for anyhting.

[KansukeKojima 0]

How we define right and wrong is a very important question we need to ask ourselves. As a Christian, I will attempt to answer this from a Christian perspective.

 

In order to do this, I need to first ask the question what is truth?

1. the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.

2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.

3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle, or the like: mathematical truths.

-dictionary.com

Truth is something entirely absolute, it is not relative. If something is true, it is true at all times and everywhere. 2+2 is still 4 regardless of which galaxy you are in, etc.

 

So what does this mean as far as morals are concerned? Are they absolute, OR are they relative? Is there a right and wrong, or are morals entirely relative and created by society or civil laws?

 

Now, before I begin my argument, I hope you will agree with something. If there are only two options, and one option is proven false, the other option MUST be true. I am either a male, or I am not a male. If I am a male, the "I am not a male" option is invalid. If I am not a male, the "I am a male" option is invalid. So, there is either right and wrong, or there is not right and wrong. IF I can disprove relativism, then by default, there must be absolute right and wrong as there are only two options.

 

The view that there is no right and wrong is a form of relativism:

Relativism is the philosophical position that all points of view are equally valid and that all truth is relative to the individual.

-carm.org

In essence, relativism says there is no right and wrong is saying there are no absolute truths and that right and wrong are completely relative to what the individual thinks, feels, and believes. However, the problem with relativism is the statement "There are no absolute truths" creates a very large problem. "There are no absolute truths" is a absolute statement. If there are no absolute truths, then that statement invalidates itself and therefore is false. This being said, there must be absolute truths - there must be moral absolutes.

 

At this point, I have given an arguement for the existence of right and wrong. Now that I have established there must be and absolute right and wrong, I will explain where this absolute right and wrong comes from. You may disagree with the following but its the only position I'll be arguing from .

 

The Bible - the inspired and inerrant Word of God - accounts for right and wrong. God has established laws that we as His creations are supposed to obey. These laws are good, they are what is right. Disobedience to these laws is called sin, which is what is wrong.

 

That's all I have to say.