Tests for morality

[-=Vagrant=-]

Does anyone have a good test to find out if a person has anykind of morality? I'd like to know if I'm moral or something else. Thanks!

 

[Skeptical Greg]

Does anyone have a good test to find out if a person has anykind of morality? I'd like to know if I'm moral or something else. Thanks!

In what context or culture?


P.S. I believe the ' something else ' would be ' immoral '....

 

[Corey]

According to www.Dictionary.com:


1. Of or concerned with the judgment of the goodness or badness of human action and character: moral scrutiny; a moral quandary.

2. Teaching or exhibiting goodness or correctness of character and behavior: a moral lesson.

3. Conforming to standards of what is right or just in behavior; virtuous: a moral life.

4. Arising from conscience or the sense of right and wrong: a moral obligation.

5. Having psychological rather than physical or tangible effects: a moral victory; moral support.

6. Based on strong likelihood or firm conviction, rather than on the actual evidence: a moral certainty.

n.

1. The lesson or principle contained in or taught by a fable, a story, or an event.

2. A concisely expressed precept or general truth; a maxim.

3. Morals. Rules or habits of conduct, especially of sexual conduct, with reference to standards of right and wrong: a person of loose morals; a decline in the public morals.

It's a contextual definition. The definition itself implies an inherent truth at points, but that's from the point of view of someone who has already formulated or been taught them. If you gather enough people and isolate yourself from outside influence, construct a set of values and follow them...you are moral. If you have a set of self imposed or agreed upon rules and guidelines that you believe to be "true" or "right" and you don't follow them, you are immoral. The definition allows for the idea of following an inherent or internal truth, agreement to follow a pre-formulated set of rules or that the idea of the thing being defined being objective and purely a psychological construct as opposed to a real, strictly definable thing.

There's only one test to determine if you are "moral". Do you follow the set of rules and guidelines that you agree are correct? Of course if you don't follow someone else's, they deem you as immoral, nothing new there, heh.

 

[Yahweh]

These tests and games should keep you busy for a while...

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Does anyone have a good test to find out if a person has anykind of morality? I'd like to know if I'm moral or something else. Thanks!

If you had an opportunity to steal, would you?

If you could murder and get away with it, would you?

If someone wanting to kill you were outside your front door asking if you were home, would you lie and say no?

Candy from a baby, grabbing an opportunity or just plain wrong?

I realize these aren't a formal test for morality, but it's a start.

 

[-=Vagrant=-]

Re: Re: Tests for morality

If you had an opportunity to steal, would you?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It depends on what I could steal.

If you could murder and get away with it, would you?

No. Even if it was Bush junior.

If someone wanting to kill you were outside your front door asking if you were home, would you lie and say no?

Yes.

The reason I asked for these tests is that I dont' even know if it is possible to know if person A has any morals. And what the heck are morals?

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

The reason I asked for these tests is that I dont' even know if it is possible to know if person A has any morals. And what the heck are morals?

http://www.philosophers.co.uk/games/morality_play.htm
http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/morality.htm
Plus some Google results.

I'd say morals are things that you don't "feel" are or should be right or wrong, while ethics are things that you can logically deduce as being right or wrong. Ethics seem to have more universality (don't murder, don't steal), while morals seem to be more personal (don't drink alcohol, don't have sex).

I'll let some of the more philosophical guys hop in. I'm the worlds most deviant prude so I'm probably not in a good place to offer specifics.

 

[deBergerac]

What morality is? In the beginning of the last century Hedenius (famous philosopher from Uppsala, famous in Sweden that is, or at least in Uppsala) upset quite a lot of people in Sweden with his explanation that all moral statements “thou shall not kill” etc. are only statements of opinion. Today people do not find this as chocking any more.
So what is moral is what is considered the right way of behaviour by someone, it does not even need to be a collective. But a person with a completely different set of moral rules than people in his surrounding is asking for trouble.
In a way this might lead to a nietzschean philosophy since the superman acts above the moral rules followed by the ordinary man but he is still moral since he has the right way of behaviour belonging to his superhuman status. (Seems as I got a bit carried away there…)
But if it is only a matter of the opinion of one what is moral or not then there exist no test

 

[Mr Manifesto]

Re: Re: Tests for morality

If you had an opportunity to steal, would you?

What do you mean, "would I"? You meant to say, "do you", didn't you? And the answer is YES, my friend, YES YES YES!

If you could murder and get away with it, would you?

See above. And to think I thought I'd get no pleasure from killing a young child. JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW WRONG A MAN CAN BE!

If someone wanting to kill you were outside your front door asking if you were home, would you lie and say no?

This happens to me a lot, as you can imagine. I say 'yes, he's out the back', wait until the guy is in front of me, then WHACK on the back of the head. Works like a charm.

Candy from a baby, grabbing an opportunity or just plain wrong?

shanek tells me it's just being competitive.

I realize these aren't a formal test for morality, but it's a start.

On a more serious note, has anyone in this forum stolen? Post your answers, and I'll ask another question.

 

[-=Vagrant=-]

In the beginning of the last century Hedenius (famous philosopher from Uppsala, famous in Sweden that is, or at least in Uppsala) upset quite a lot of people in Sweden with his explanation that all moral statements “thou shall not kill” etc. are only statements of opinion. Today people do not find this as chocking any more.

I've heard Finnish theists say that name (Hedenius) with dread. I've never bothered to find out about him. Maybe I should.

 

[Skeptical Greg]

' Moral ' is how we would like others to behave...


Remember all that ' sharing ' crap that is taught to kindergartners..

Why does the idea of sharing seem to go out the window when you get your first Porsche or land a hot babe???