The Search for Moral Laws and Norms

This week's blog topic is as follows: “Our technologies establish the truth of many of our scientific laws.” Is there any comparable means of establishing moral rules and norms?


So of course the first task at hand is to make sure we understand the topic itself. The way I see it, the first quote states that the technologies we use on a daily basis (such as computers, cranes, even elevators) demonstrate the truth in many of the proposed scientific laws (such as gravity and Newton's laws of motion). These technologies show us each time they are in operation that we do know enough about the natural laws of the physical universe to construct tools in it that follow our rules and do what they are intended.



So the next part is the question itself. Just as technology demonstrates our understanding and operation of our scientific laws, do we have a comparable means for the finding/demonstrating moral rules and norms? Just as we can prove by dropping an apple that gravity exists (albeit the part about how it exists, i.e. as either a force of attraction, a result of curved space-time, or some other function is irrelevant in this case), can we provide a solid 'fact' that morals exist by a predetermined set of rules and guidelines? What are morals anyhow? After much discussion in class, we have come to the conclusion that morals are a person's personal sense of how to determine right and wrong. If that is so, then how can there be moral norms? Norms are things that we do during an 'ordinary' day that tends to be more routine than anything else. For example, my dad always wears pants. If he decided to wear shorts one day, no matter what the weather, it would be outside his norm. But as you can see by this example, norms are very specific and particular to the individual. What may be a norm for me, may be completely abnormal for someone else. It's all circumstantial.



Moral rules are another area that is difficult to say has an established set of boundaries. What can be considered a 'rule'? These are, once again, a personal phenomenon generated by personal values and beliefs. In essence, morals are our personal values and beliefs. So we can't really have an established set of moral rules and norms. That would be similar to comparing the rules of a corporate business whose intent and purpose is to construct buildings to the rules of a business whose intent and purpose is to restore nature reserves. The rules and norms are going to be vastly different. Even in the same field of profession, these rules vary. JC Penny's and Macy's are both department stores, but they have different selection process for merchandise and probably for different rules for their employees as well. The core of the business is the same, but that doesn't make them the same. The same concept can be applied to the establishment of moral laws and norms. Everyone has some set of moral laws and norms. The cores of these laws and norms are same in the essence that they are all their to govern our actions and beliefs. That does not, however, mean they are the same from individual to individual.

This blog is cross-posted from http://doorstoknowledgeibblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/search-for-moral-laws-and-norms.html