Chapter 11: What is Right? What is Wrong? What is Ideal?

The question about right and wrong has troubled humanity since its existence—what is ethical or moral has changed over time. However, there are a few things everybody can agree on: What seems to be good for one, does not automatically need to be good for the other. Nevertheless, humanity needs some universal rules, for example the human rights, to guarantee every single person the right and opportunity to live a dignified life. This common denominator has to work on a paramount level, independently of an individual's opinion about right and wrong.

Before looking for an answer about universal moral ideals, one is already troubled by the complexity of the question: Why is it so hard to tell what is right and wrong? Is there a universal right and wrong standing above humanity, or are these invented categories of humankind? Just because we are conscious about what we do, does this mean that we are capable of knowing what is right and wrong?

If there is a universal right and wrong that stands above humanity, then it must come from somewhere; this somewhere many people call God. When people believe in God, they have no difficulty to confirm that there is a universal right and wrong—but the question is, even if people do not believe in (a) God, is there still (a) God and therefor a universal right and wrong?

In reality however, universal moral ideals are defined by societies; and societies are people; and people are influenced by the balance of power within the society. Because we hesitate to believe in people (history has taught us to be very careful believing in a powerful person), it is difficult to define what is right and wrong, and what is ideal. It is easier to believe in something superhuman that is uncoupled from the human head that guides us through the doubts of life.

Because people are so unreliable, humankind needs something that is always valid. This does not mean that people should turn themselves in—it does mean that there should be universal moral guidelines people can orientate themselves in order to work for the best possible mutual way of life, including any living creature on this world. However, this is an always active process of moral, ethical, and social development, evolution, and change; thus “humanity has, we may hope, a long road of moral development ahead of it” (Nagel). 

1) Thomas Nagel, “You Can't Learn About Morality From Brain Scans,” The New Republic, 1 Nov. 2013, http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115279/joshua-greenes-moral-tribes-reviewed-thomas-nagel/ (accessed 29 Dez. 2013).