The Moralist

Morality is doing the right thing in the context of the social contract. We all live together, in varying degrees and due to our cooperation benefit from the collective. We also may have our lives deprecated because others in the society may act immorally. Deciding what is moral cannot necessarily be gleamed from ancient text or dogma. As our collective situation changes, so might our moral guidelines. And things are changing at a pace unknown in human history. That is why we must examine our moral standing with the same tools we use to discover the universe: Emprical evidence confirmed by rigorous analysis verified by peer review. That is the essence of this blog: Posing moral questions and coming to answers by the way of empirical reasoning. Discussion and comments are not only encouraged but demanaded of the reader.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014



The rule of law and the law of morality were at one time the same concept. This is no longer the case as we see law and morality as distinct, yet complimentary entities. The majority of activities considered immoral at this time are also illegal. Morality has become the rules beyond the scope of law. A person who seeks to live morally is exceeding the minimum standards for behavior set by the law. It is quite possible for someone to be well within the law at the same time behaving in an immoral manner. While the law tends to focus on the extent of Human interaction that can be quantitatively defined, morality seeks to regulate actions and thoughts that arise from subjective Human values. Morality is subjective. It arises out of a particular set of circumstances. Once removed from that particular set of circumstances it may or may not be relevant. If I were to murder an enemy of mine in the context of a normal social setting, I would certainly be sent to prison for most of my life or even executed. If, however, I were a member of the United States Marines and engaged in combat, I could slaughter as many Human Beings as I liked on the battlefield. This would not result in my imprisonment but rather would be viewed as an act of great benefit to society. Moral issues are hotly debated because there are no absolute answers. Each issue must be dealt with both individually and with a clear idea of the circumstances involved. The law as it is written implies not only standards for behaviors, but also the conditions under which the law is applicable. That is why there are thousands of laws trying to cover the multitudinous aspects of the Human condition. It is also the reason for loopholes that allow the law to be circumvented under unusual circumstances. Morality changes with the times. Many of the standards of moral behavior thirty years ago are not applicable at this time.