Can Morals Survive in the Present Day World?

A former mayor of a major US city is sentenced to jail for lying under oath. A reality show contestant lies, cheats and immorally claws her way to the finish line for a cash prize. A famous sports figure is fined millions for breaking the moral clause of his contract. Is it possible as a society to conform to accepted rules of right conduct?  Yes, if we are willing to follow the rules.

Morality and Human Rights

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, empathy and other forms of social awareness are important in the development of a moral sense. We need to add to that a respect and tolerance for the mores of others. While Africans were being enslaved by moralist Englishmen who felt that colonization of Africans tribesmen would be for their moral good, many African parents were teaching moral lessons to their children through folklore and tradition. 

Morality and Children

We have watched as one by one many athletes have been indicted for using performance-enhancing drugs; they failed one of the first lessons we learn as children: play by the rules.

Consistency is key when teaching rules of conduct to children. The parent who teaches his child that lying is wrong then tells that child to lie to others on his behalf is demonstrating moral ambiguity and showing the child that the moral lessons he is struggling to learn do not apply to the adult world.

Morals in the Workplace

What would you do if you were asked to lie for your employer or to falsify a record? One might be a judgment call without much consequence; the other could lead to termination or criminal prosecution. In general, employers favor people who conform to accepted standards of moral conduct. Having a set of moral guidelines to live your life by will give you confidence, poise, and will make you more marketable. In this tight job market, employers are looking past resumes and skill sets to the character of prospective employees. Many jobs administer moral aptitude tests and look at the credit history of prospective applicants.

When we look at our society’s leaders, we understand that our sense of right and wrong cannot be predicated on what others might do. Instead of leaving our moral lessons to the discretion of reality TV producers, we need to return to making them a product of our upbringing; mother and/or father are responsible for raising their young ones to be morally decent human beings. But even if you didn’t receive your morals from nurture, there are still solid principles and accepted rules of behavior. One such principle that has stood the test of time is the original golden rule: Don’t do anything to others that you wouldn’t want done to you. In short we are talking about morality not based solely on a penal code or Judeo-Christian doctrine, but a desire to live your life well without bringing harm to those around you.