REMEMBER! Morality is the set of standards you use to judge whether an action is right or wrong.
Your morality guides your choices. Your choices reveal the kind of person you are – whether you are honest or dishonest, selfish or unselfish, trustworthy or untrustworthy.
Actions and Consequences Morality is concerned with the following kinds of actions:
n Actions that are free: Where you are not forced to do one thing or the other. n Actions that are deliberate: Where you are in control of what you are doing. n Actions that are informed: Where you know and understand what it is you are doing.
Think about this example:
A trained swimmer hears the cries of someone drowning in a river. He chooses to respond to these calls for help. He enters the water and rescues the person in distress.
This action has all three of the characteristics listed above:
n It is free: The rescuer chose to do it. No one made him do it. n It is deliberate: The rescuer did not accidentally fall into the river. He chose to enter the water in order to rescue someone in danger of drowning.
n It is informed: The rescuer is a trained swimmer. He knew the risks involved in what he was doing.
This action is good (i.e. the right thing to do in this situation) because the rescuer saves a human life. Whenever our actions are free, deliberate and informed, we are said to be responsible for them.
This means that you can be praised or rewarded if you say or do the right thing. However, you can also be blamed or punished if you say or do the wrong thing.
REMEMBER! Responsible means that you must answer for what you say or do.
Different Views of Morality
Morality is important to people everywhere. Sooner or later we all have to face situations that force us to ask ‘What should I do?’ However, people often sharply disagree on matters of morality. Think about how people hold opposing views on moral issues such
