Foundation of Moral Order

 

1. What is Moral Order?

Moral order is the system of values, duties, and rules that guide how we act. Every day, we judge actions: "Cheating is wrong" or "Helping others is good." These judgments prove that we believe there is a real difference between what we ought to do and what we should not do.

2. Where Does This Order Come From?

There are three main ways to explain the foundation of morality:

A. The Religious Answer

Many believe morality comes from God. In this view, stealing is wrong because God forbids it. This gives rules authority and makes them universal. However, philosophy looks for a rational foundation that everyone—believer or not—can understand.

B. The Existentialist Answer (Jean-Paul Sartre)

Sartre argues that there is no foundation for morality.

  • No God, No Rules: Since there is no divine lawgiver, there are no objective rules.
  • Existence Precedes Essence: Humans are born without a "built-in" nature. We are totally free to choose who we are.
  • Creating Values: We don't discover values; we invent them. If you choose to be a thief, that is your "value."
  • The Problem: If Sartre is right, we can never truly condemn evil. We couldn't say a dictator is "objectively" wrong; we would just be stating a personal preference.

C. The Social/Philosophical Answer

This view argues that morality is grounded in Human Interrelatedness. Even without religion, we can find a foundation in the way humans live together.

3. Human Interaction: The Real Foundation

Moral reality is a "primary datum"—it is something we experience immediately. We instinctively know that child abuse is wrong and sacrifice is good. Philosophy argues that these feelings are not illusions. They come from our social nature.

Why Morality is Social

  • Actions Affect Others: Almost every moral action involves another person. Lying hurts a listener; helping benefits a neighbor. If you lived alone on an island where your actions affected no one, "morality" would lose its meaning.
  • Interdependence: Humans cannot grow alone. We need family, friends, and society to become fully human.
  • The Right to Recognition: Because we are social, every person has a basic need to be recognized as a human being.

 Video: https://youtu.be/9i4nWwIk0YM

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