PRISM

 

MORAL STANDARDS: WHAT'S THE BASIS?

Out of the 8.7 million species in the world, human beings are the only species who have surpassed all other beings and emerged as the most superior. There are several factors that differentiate humans from all other beings, such as self-analysis, mental time travel, imagination, abstract thinking, cultural establishment, and morality. Unlike other beings, humans live in this world with a purpose and goal in life. They strive to achieve great dreams and work hard to realize their desires. Additionally, they have been solely given the capacity to control and dictate the lives of all other beings. All these features contribute to their superiority.

What is morality? 

Morality is a prime discriminator between humans and other beings. There are various definitions for morality. According to "The Hellenistic Philosophers: Translations of the Principal Sources with Philosophical Commentary," morality is the categorization of intentions, decisions, and actions into those that are proper or right, and those that are improper or wrong. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduct from a particular philosophy, religion, or culture, or it can derive from a standard that is understood to be universal. There is no disagreement that morality simply means knowing what is right and what is wrong. The problem arises when principles or standards are made for morality. Every human being differs from their next neighbour in terms of aspirations, desires, needs, and dislikes. So, how can we categorize everything into right and wrong according to everyone's needs? What is the basis for determining which act is more moral than the other? Is it possible to make a universally acceptable code of conduct and standard of morals?

In order to answer these questions, first, we need to analyze the theories of morality. Moral principles of liberalism include:

1. Consequentialism: The right action is the action that produces good amongst the options open to the agent at the time of action (Singer). The most well-known version of this theory is Classical Utilitarianism, which holds that the right action promotes pleasure (Mill).

2. Kantian Deontology: The morally worthy action is in accordance with the Categorical Imperative, which requires an agent to refrain from acting in a way that fails to respect the rational nature of other persons (Kant).

3. Virtue Ethics: The right action is the action that a virtuous person would characteristically perform in the circumstances (Hursthouse, 1999).

These are only a few examples of the various theories that philosophers have formed as a basis to determine morality. From BC onwards, different philosophers have attempted to standardize morality, and yet morality keeps being redefined, and its standards reset with each new era. Due to the presence of a wide range of theories and the lack of determinants to select one, in reality, there is no proper principle to define morality.

When we analyze the above-mentioned theories, we find various faults in them. How can one determine which action produces good? What if one action produces good for one person and the same produces bad for another? If everyone performs acts that are likable to them, won't it affect the balance of the universe? These theories fail to address such questions. Moreover, we can find that all the theories have failed greatly in defining true moral principles: How to determine what is good and what is bad?

The Islamic approach to morality

Fundamentally, there are two approaches to morality: subjective and objective. While subjective morality says morals are human-made and can vary from person to person, objective morality holds that correct moral principles and values are universal and independent of individual opinions, cultural differences, or subjective interpretations. Islam recognizes objective morality. In order to free moral principles from individual opinions, in Islam, the moral determiner is God, who is independent of all beings. He is the one who has defined what is wrong and what is right. His definition is the only one that can be accepted because, in order for morality to be objective, we need an authority outside the laws of the physical world to determine it.

Hamza Andreas Tzortzis says: "Let us try to answer the question: why is it objective? The answer is simple. The morals that we consider to be objective are so because God exists." Professor Ian Markham similarly explains, "God explains the mysterious ought pressing down our lives; and God explains the universal nature of the moral claim. As God is outside the world, God the creator can be both external and make universal commands."

Which approach is the most applicable? 

From the above-mentioned examples and statements, we gather that a rationally and logically acceptable standard for morality is the moral principles determined by Almighty Himself. This means, Islam's way of determining morality is the accurate method. These principles are void of human subjective influences but also address human needs and essentials in an impartial way.

Fathima Qudsiya

CMMO Madavoor