MORALITY

The etymological meaning of the

word Morality is derived from the
Latin word moralis which means
customs or manners.

Morality is defined as that

which involves the notions such as
rightness and wrongness, guilt and
shame.
• St. Paul suggested that Morality is
the work of something natural in
man possibly the expression of an
innate knowledge of right and wrong.

• For Immanuel Kant, Morality- that

is the good or evil of the voluntary
action- did not depend on factors
external to the person (God and the
material world), but on the person
himself.
• Some suggests that Morality speaks of a
system of behaviour in regards to
standards of right or wrong behaviour.
• Some suggests that the word carries the
concepts of moral standards, with regard
to behaviour;
• Some suggests that it speaks of moral
responsibility, referring to our
conscience;
• Some suggests that it speaks of a moral
identity, or one who is capable of right or
wrong action etc.
Moral - The word “Moral” as found in the
dictionary is defined as an acceptable way of
behaving and that someone who is moral
behaves in a way that is right, proper or
acceptable.

Immoral - is usually understood to be the

opposite of moral, which means that it is an
unacceptable way of behaving. A person
considered to be immoral when he
knowingly violates human moral standards
by doing something wrong or by being bad.
Amoral - means having no sense or being
indifferent to right and wrong. Apart from
animals this term can be applied to babies as
they are yet to develop their moral sense, and
also it can be applied to very few people who
lose their sense of right or wrong after having
prefrontal lobotomies, that after operation tends
to act amorally.

Non-moral - means out of the realm of morality

altogether. For example, things such as guns
may be used immorally, but the gun itself is
neither moral nor immoral, it is non-moral.
Good - generally implies something
that is desirable, acceptable‟ etc., and
the word.

Bad - is usually meant to imply the

opposite of good, that which is
undesirable, unacceptable and in short
is something that is not pleasing in
every manner.
Phenomenology
of
Moral Values
A description of moral insights into a moral
experiences shows the following:

1. There is awareness of the difference

between right and wrong
2. Moral experience cannot be reduced to
other human experiences
3. There is a “must” quality. (everyone is
expected and demanded to be moral)
4. We experience an “ought” in doing good
and avoiding bad or evils.
5. We are free to do good or evil.
 Essential
Characteristics of
Value-Experience
1. Values are first “felt” before they are
thought of.
2. Values are independent of the “subject”,
or “carrier”, and independent of social,
historical, cultural, and contingent factors or
circumstances.
3. Values are independent of subjective
emotional states.
4. One can be aware of a value without
making it the “purpose” of his will.
Characteristics of
Moral Values
1. A value becomes moral because it is
recognized as reasonable and freely
chosen by a human person in
accordance to his/her conscience.
2. Moral values are pre-eminent over
other human values. Moral values are
absolute; i.e independent of other
values and preferred for their own
sake.
3. Moral values are obligatory; i.e. they
ought to be realized and cannot be
deferred or postponed.
World of Values
THE USE OF REASON

To choose moral values, like honesty or

justice and fair play, is to act according
to right reason; to be faithful to one’s
nature as a reasonable human person.
Hence, a natural value becomes moral
through the application or mediation of
reason.
SUBJECTIVE AND OBJECTIVE
RELATIONSHIP

On the part of the subject, the good

can be known by natural knowledge
(natural inclination) or by rational
knowledge (reason). What is natural is
also seen as reasonable and therefore
moral. One the part of the object, the
good values can appeal to man’s
natural inclination (will as nature) or
the good present itself as reasonable
and becomes a matter choice (will as
reason)
SANCTION AND MERIT

Nature and reason encourage and

reward moral virtue and punish
immorality or evil deeds.