Morality

I am again going to channel my Political Philosophy class here, the last couple of day we have been discussing estrangement, power, and touched on morality. In response to the argument by Thomas Hobbs that the only way to keep people in line is a gigantic leviathan like government that would make everyone get along, in response I have asked the question who tells the leviathan what is right and wrong. My point in this is who dictates morality, who is to say what is morally right or wrong. Certain things can go without question, murder, torture and things like that but other things are vaguer. Morality is a big word and has implications further reaching and more deeply rooted than anything else in our culture root. Again who makes the rules, who makes the morals, who says homosexuality is immoral, what makes that person right, or what makes them wrong. Take the case in Utah, Polygamy, while I do not question it being immoral to force a 14 year old into an arranged marriage, who is it to say that multiple (of age to consent) wives is immoral. The problem as I see it is so many of our “moral” standards are based on a Christian viewpoint of what is morally acceptable, but does that infringe on the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion is it truly freedom of your religious belief when the laws you must live and abide by are based on a moral code that may not be the same as your own faiths code of moral conduct. For example, what gives a Christian the right to prevent me from taking another man as my husband, does the fact I have sex with a man effect their life, does my love for a man effect their life, so what makes their “moral” beliefs superior to my own or my won superior to theirs, can both exist? Is there a compromise somewhere? So here is the real kicker question, is morality the root of human estrangement, or is morality a power to be sought and wielded to keep others in line with your way of thinking? Moreover, as the introduction to my Political Philosophy book says, I will spend my time asking questions; it is up to you to find the answers.

Deep Thoughts

BW