Morality Of Morality

Everyone wants to be a person of morality. However, as everyone will experience in their lives, that’s no easy task. Throughout everyone’s life, choices arise that are far more complex than simple-answered right and wrong dilemmas. Often a moral pathway may lead to an undesirable outcome, and vice versa. Before examining this in more detail, we must define morality. Morality is the value or extent to which an action is right or wrong. Everyone has their own moral code and sense of right and wrong. Our culture today values the outcome more than the means, however, and will forgive lapses in morality, such as deceit, in order to achieve a favorable outcome. Deceit with immoral or selfish intentions is allowed no wiggle room. Life is much more …show more content…
While lying in generally considered immoral, there are cases in which it is acceptable. Culture today has taken a utilitarian stance. Utilitarianism associates the morality of an act with the consequences of the act rather than the act itself. Utilitarians believe that the acts with the best consequences are the best acts, regardless of means. This sharply contrasts traditional codes, like the Ten Commandments, which emphasize strict adherence to the code regardless of outcome (Nathanson par. 2). This is seen in many social encounters. Lying is often the most appropriate ethical response to questions when interacting with others. Thomas Plante, Ph. D. discusses the common scenarios when lying is perhaps the better option. When you are asked by a friend if you like their new haircut, it would only be hurtful to tell them that you dislike it. You may feel a duty to the person to alter the truth so that their feelings are not hurt (par. 2). Plante also discusses society’s separation from absolute moral rules. He offers the famous example of being approached by a man with a gun, asking if you have seen someone running by and where they were headed. By adhering to absolute moral rules such as never lying, you would be compelled to tell him, but may cost someone their life (par. 3). The modern view that society takes, the utilitarian view, would have you lie to the man to save a life. Deceit is also accepted in entertainment by society, where it is not immoral, but not necessarily moral. In an article for Santa Clara Law, it is examined that while lying is generally wrong, in sports deceit is encouraged as a skill. When skills are taught like dribbling and faking a shot or faking a player out and dodging around them, people readily accept this deceit as it is within the agreed-upon bounds of the sport (Bowen par. 5). As long as the motives are good, and the outcome remains