Open Question About Morals

[mererdog]

What makes an action morally wrong?

[JimBob]

IMO, any action one commits that they would not want the same thing done to them would be a 'wrong' action and immoral.

Peace & Love!

[Argonious]

Any actions that is not done to any one person, or personages that they would request or expect to be done and they would accept, of a natural or unnatural behavior.

[panpareil]

Actions are made morally wrong by circumstances and individual perspective that may shared by a percentage of the population but are never universal, absolute, or have any existence outside of the mind of the observer. Morality is like beauty, or humorousness.

[Preacher Bob]

Definitions, Brother Murph. We need definitions. What is the definition of morality?

[murphzlaw1]

1. conformity to the rules of right conduct; moral or virtuous conduct.

2. moral quality or character.

3. virtue in sexual matters; chastity.

4. a doctrine or system of morals.

5. moral instruction; a moral lesson, precept, discourse, or utterance.

that isn't much help, tho.

Moral? Okay.

1. of, pertaining to, or concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong; ethical: moral attitudes.

2. expressing or conveying truths or counsel as to right conduct, as a speaker or a literary work; moralizing: a moral novel.

3. founded on the fundamental principles of right conduct rather than on legalities, enactment, or custom: moral obligations.

4. capable of conforming to the rules of right conduct: a moral being.

5. conforming to the rules of right conduct (opposed to immoral): a moral man.

6. virtuous in sexual matters; chaste.

7. of, pertaining to, or acting on the mind, feelings, will, or character: moral support.

8. resting upon convincing grounds of probability; virtual: a moral certainty.

–noun 9. the moral teaching or practical lesson contained in a fable, tale, experience, etc.

10. the embodiment or type of something.

11. morals, principles or habits with respect to right or wrong conduct.

I like definitions 1 and 7 on that last one...If the drafted one agrees, we can shoot for that.

[Samadhi]

Anything that violates the Eighfold Path laid out by Buddha, I consider a moral trespass

[Preacher Bob]

The definition of what is NOT moral is exactly the opposites of that IS moral. But for one what is immoral may be moral to others. An absolute definition of what is moral (or in some cases ethical as it can be spoken in the same lines) needs to be set, and respected by the majority. This will not work with society in general, but will with groups.

[Eynion De' Tilston]

Immoral acts are those that other people do that I think are wrong.

[Preacher Bob]

And the acts you do that they think are wrong. ** for tat.

[Eynion De' Tilston]

And the acts you do that they think are wrong. ** for tat.

Oh no. I do not do immoral acts, at least in my opinion.

Of course, most people feel that way about themselves.

Edited April 22, 2008 by HLange

[simplicitys-brother]

Immoral acts are those things that do the least good or the greatest damage to:

1: self

2. sex and family

3. groups one is a member of

4. mankind in general

5. other life

6. physical universe

7. spiritual universe

8. Supreme Being/Creator/GOD/Allah or whatever you want to call infinity.

Moral acts are those which most enhance the survival of them.

The optimum solution is: that which action best enhances the survival of all of them.

Moral/immoral acts can only be from the viewpoint of the individual doing them.

Edited May 29, 2008 by simplicitys-brother

[Reverend Boony]

What makes an action morally wrong?

When it causes harm to self or others.

The definition of what is NOT moral is exactly the opposites of that IS moral. But for one what is immoral may be moral to others. An absolute definition of what is moral (or in some cases ethical as it can be spoken in the same lines) needs to be set, and respected by the majority. This will not work with society in general, but will with groups.

Well, Ive always understood morality to mean the understanding of whats right and whats wrong.

[kevinc]

immoral actions are those you know to be harmful that you do nonetheless. inactions may also be immoral, for instance not educating yourself about what is and is not harmful.

[Rev Ed]

What makes an action morally wrong?

The simple answer would be something that you would not like done to you. For example, I would consider stealing wrong because I would not want someone to steal anything from me.

The complex answer would be whatever society deems to be wrong. This is more complex as it has to be a collection of morals, usually (but not necessarily) made formal through rules/laws, that the society in question say is wrong. For example, some societies believe that "an eye for an eye" allows for capital punishment of criminals as being morally right. Other societies may say that capital punishment is morally wrong. Each society is has to determine this.

[Himitsuko]

I think an action can only be labeled morally wrong, if the person committing the action knows that action to be unethical or believes it to be "sinful." If one has no code of ethics, or any morals to contend with, they can't actually behave immorally, just amorally.

[VonNoble]

What makes an action morally wrong?

It diminishes you.

Von

[Rev. Magus Adam]

What makes an action morally wrong?

That it would do harm.

[ClericThomas]

Any action that violates the freewill and rights of another adult, or would harm an innocent defined as a child or someone not capable of adult volition.

Simply put I could care less what adults do its their business.

[F. Bayer]

To quote Albert Einstein - I know, a Physicist rather than Metaphysicist; but both lie closer together than is usually percieved - "Everything is relative". As for that, there is no definite answer for that, period. Moral is what one's own ethics dictate it to be - therefore, entire series of books could be written about one's own perspective on matters related to ethics and moral.

Now why exactly is that? Well, let's have a look at one of the several million ethical rules that the human mind consolidates within itself. This rule might look like that:

X is wrong. However, if a applies, x might not be wrong. It definitely isn't wrong if b applies, and if b applies to a certain degree but in combination with a, x is right as well. Nevertheless, if b applies fully, and a also applies fully, x is even more condemnable. Then again, if x is necessary to achieve y, it is even right in that case. X is right anyway if it is supposed to lead to y. But if x is leading to b, which then justifies the former use of x, x is wrong again, even if it is also leading to y. If y is leading to x, this is definitely wrong, unless it is supposed to get rid of a. If a however leads to the use of b, which results in y, x must be used or the whole thing is wrong. Or perhaps it isn't, depending on how much c is the driving force [...]

The ellipsis should obviously indicate that this rule doesn't end here. Now if this is a rule by itself, imagine a million of those written down. The sheer seeming unendlessness of our entire moral and ethics code that differs from person to person, makes it completely impossible to render a compact definition of which is morally right or not.