Morality has been a problem since the beginning of the philosophical tradition. Although it should be simple, the answers seem to hide or be relative when we find ourselves in a dilemma, which can be even more challenging to handle.
This article explores a thought experiment to show the reader how morality demands personal values and how it is necessary to think things through carefully.
Morality has played an essential role in the world. The creation of the concept rebuilt societies and was responsible for starting and ending wars. Yet, it is rather complicated to know what is the right thing to do in certain situations.
To understand morality, one must realise that there is no such thing as a perfect guide to being morally right all the time. Russian author Leonid Andriev writes a short story on the topic.
The story is “The conversion of the Devil”, and it tells the story of a Demon that doesn’t want to be bad anymore. However, evilness is rooted in the Demon, so he seeks the help of a priest. Shockingly, the priest finds the mission very difficult. He realizes that he can’t teach how to be good because the concept is often too far away from the practical matters of life.
To understand these dilemmas, let’s do a thought experiment.
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One day, a close friend of yours shows up at your house asking to tell a secret that you can’t share with anyone. They say that while driving, they hit someone, there was no time for slowing down, and the person died on the spot after being run over. However, your friend didn’t call the police and ran away from the scene. The next day, police officers appear at your house and start asking questions. Do you tell the truth leading your friend to incarceration, or do you lie, implying that you don’t know anything about the accident?
In such a scenario, what is the right thing to do: Staying loyal to your friend and hide a murderer or break the promise and tell the truth? The answer is both, or neither or something else entirely different. Because the moral path frequently depends on an objective and how the problem relates to you.
It is essential, however, to understand that our choices constantly have moral implications. It is rather difficult to follow up on all the nuances and dilemmas. Still, we have a more extensive understanding of our actions by thinking through the events and studying different views on the same topic, which is vital because sometimes immorality goes unnoticed.
One good way of being morally guided is to create a personal value set, and in every decision when you’re dwelling on what to do, you pick from the value set and see how it relates to the actions at your disposal. Avoid doing anything that separates you from your most significant values.
What would you have done in such a situation, and why?
Discuss in the comments.