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Itseemsthattheonlybenefityougetfromnotbeingmoralispossession,physical
rewards.Maybeyoudoanimmoraltasklikefiringyourbossesmaidforhimandgetpaidalarge
bonus.Itsnicetogetthemoneybutitsonlyaphysicalreward,unlessyouresomesortofa
psychopathwholovestomakeotherpeoplemiserable,moreoftenthannotyouwillfeelpretty
bad.Andeventhen,anawardisnotguaranteedinthatsituation.
Youshouldbemoralbecauseitsinherentlyabettersituationthanbeingimmoraland,
thinkingoutsideoftheconfinesofoutdatedsituationsandmaterial(nooffensePlato),wecansee
thatpeopleinthisdayandagehaveatleastsomesortofdesiretobegood.Maybeintheworld
ofSocratesimmoralpeoplehadthebenefitofothersfindingthemcoolorhip,buteverywhere
youlooknowpeopleareshamingtheimmoralsubjects.Antibullycampaignsarearelatively
newideaandareextremelypopularamongschoolsystemsandthelike.Whilesocietymaystill
findsomeimmoralthingstobeinterestingandtheycantseemtolookaway,thehumanpsyche
hasevolvedfromthatlineofthinkingandwearemuchmoreinclinedtofindactionsthatare
actuallybeneficialtosocietyratherthantoonesownpersonalgaintobemuchmorefascinating
andadmirable.
Ofcourse,thatsageneralizationonsomedegree.Everyonethinksdifferentlywhichis
whyitshardtopinpointexactlywhenandwhereweshouldbemoral.Perhapsopposing
WilliamGrahamSumnerinhispieceFolkwaysandEthicalRelativism,Ithinkthateveryones
pathisdifferent,andthepredeterminedpaththattheyhaveplannedisntalwaysrightandtrue.
Sumnerwrites,Inthefolkways,whateveris,isright.Thisisbecausetheyaretradition,
thereforecontaininthemselvestheauthorityoftheancestralghost(22).Myoppositiontothisis
thatthereisnodefiniterightorwrong.Everypersonisdifferentandforeveryonepersonthat

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sayssomethingisrightthereisahundredthatdisagreeandforeveryonehundredpeoplethatsay
somethingisrightthereisonepersontodisagreeandviceversa.Thereisnoonehundredpercent
commonconsensusonthenotionofrightorwrongregardinganythingbecauseeverysingle
personisdifferent.
ToaddressSumnerfurther,afolkwayreallyfallsintothesamecategoryasatradition.
Afolkwaysisjustsomethingthatishappeninginyourlineageoreveninyourcommon
surroundingsthatgoesunnoticedorjustplainignoredbecauseitsnotimportant.Butsomeone
couldcomealongandchangecompletely,notfollowthatfolkwayandexperiencelife
completelydifferently.Andnooneshouldlookatthepersonwrong,thatindividualhasnot
cursedtheirfamiliesname,theyjustfeltlikedoingsomethingelseforachangeandhappenedto
likeitbetterandcontinuedoingit.Therefore,Idontthinkthatfolkways,oranythingforthat
matterisadefiniterightorwrong.
Now,thatsnottosaythatpeopleshouldrunaroundembezzlingmoneyorkillingpeople.
Orkillinginnocentblackchildrenfornoreasonexceptasubmarinesandwichthatslightly
resembledaweapon,somehow.Thisbringsmetomynexttopiconthenotionofpersonalright
andwrong.Peopleshouldfollowwhattheythinkisright,andifitdoesturnouttobemorally
wrong,theywillcorrectitorperish.Itsseenineveryactionmovie,thegoodwilleventually
overcomethebad.TakeasimpleexampleofHitlerandtheNaziregimeofthemid1900s.
Hitlers(andactuallyanumberofprofessionaldoctors,scientists,andpsychologists)personal
rightwastoslaughterandeliminatetheJewishpopulationofGermany,Polandandothermajor
Europeanpowers.Itwaswrong,itwasdisgusting,itwasatragedybuttoHitler,itwaswhathad
tobedone.Andsohebeganandaftercountlesscasualtiesandahorrifyingstory,Hitler,

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Germany,andtheNazipartyhadtopay.Hitlerwithhislife,Germanywithmoneyandapology,
andtheNazipartywithimprisonmentanddeathtoanextent.Itsthenaturalorderofthingsfor
badtobeuprootedandtossedawayandforagreatergoodtobeupheld.Personalrightand
wrongcannotbeoverlookedinthegrandschemeofthings,althoughitmaynotcorrespondwith
societysrulesofgoodandbad,itsstillconsideredrighttosomeone.
Beingmoralisnotabouthavingafirmstance.Itsnotaboutalwaysgettingthingstogo
yourwayorforalwaysthinkingyoureright.Itsaboutbenefittingyourselfaswellasothers
though.ColinMcGinnwroteinVirtue,thefinalchapterinhisbookMoralLiteracyorHowTo
DoTheRightThing,Here,then,ismychosenshortlistofbasicvirtues:Kindness,Honesty,
Justice,IndependencetheBIGFOUR(100).McGinnsaysStupidgoeswithprudentthe
wayvirtuousgoeswithimmoral(95).Thisistosaythatbeingwithoutvirtuewillresultin
immoralityandultimatelythedemiseofyourowncharacter.NoticehowinMcGinnsfour
virtues,youractionstowardsothersmakesuponlythreefourthsofthecontent.Kindness,
honesty,andjusticearealltraitsthatareevidentinyourrelationshipsandthewayyoutreat
others.Independenceisincludedbecausewhiletreatingotherswithrespectandequalityisof
greatimportance,itshouldnevercometobemoreimportantthanhowyoutreatyourself.
McGinnisspoton,independenceissomethingneededtoexhibitanysortofmoraltraits,without
asenseofselfgivingtoothersisnearlyimpossible.