preview

Construct Moral Principles That Transcend Time, Culture, And Context?

Decent Essays

Is it Possible to Construct Moral Principles that Transcend Time, Culture, and Context?
As we look for a new way to live our lives, we constantly look back to remind ourselves of the way things used to be. Western culture as we know it today, did not start off as it is now, and it certainly is not going to remain the same for very long. Many years ago families had moral values that served a purpose in their lives. Women stayed at home and took care of the children while men’s went to work to provide the family. However, if you think about that today, you will be shocked and puzzled because our moral values today cannot be compared with the values from other eras. Moral principles change. But is it possible to construct moral principles that …show more content…

For example, all religions tell us that basic morals every person must follow comprise of don’t lie, don’t steal and never commit adultery. Universal morality exists. And one of them is ‘Utilitarianism’. Utilitarianism theory states, that all the activities should be directed towards the accomplishment of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people. For example, a pharmaceutical company released a drug that has been governmentally approved with known side effects because the drug is able to help more people than are bothered by the minor side effects. Utilitarianism is a universal moral principle that was and will be considered moral throughout most of the eras. In conclusion, it is possible to construct moral principles that transcend time, culture and context. There must be something that the whole world has to agree on. Otherwise, the whole world will fall apart. There might be some rules that are slightly different in different place because they are just interpreted differently. Moral principle like utilitarianism should be considered moral through most ears. However, some morality can undergo a revolution within a generation. So is it possible that the people of the 23rd Century will detect flaws in ours, the 21st? Well, let’s wait and find

Get Access