Four Irrefutable Challenges of Morality

Understanding Morality: What's It All About?

Morals are the standards that help people get along and work together in groups. When we talk about morals, we're talking about what a society thinks is right or okay. Most folks try to be moral and follow these rules. But what does morality really mean? Well, it often means putting aside our own short-term wants for the greater good of society. Sounds tough, right? Let’s dig into four big challenges that morality faces.

The Challenge of Positivism

First up is positivism. This one says that things only matter if they can be proven or seen—no theories or pure logic allowed! Positivism is kinda like emotivism; it's all about how we feel. Think about something like extrajudicial killings (EJK). Many people think they're wrong, but others believe the opposite because of the lives taken by those being killed. It's emotional stuff.

Take teenage pregnancy as another example. Some folks think abortion can stop it from happening, but others see abortion as just plain wrong—a mortal sin even! This argument might sound silly fact-wise, but emotionally, it's a big deal to lots of people. We spend loads of time talking about how issues make us feel. Emotivism says our feelings can't be wrong; they're just ours. Positivism criticizes what's wrong with someone or something to make it better.

The Challenge of Relativism

Next is relativism, which says moral principles depend on who you are or where you live. Like, take abortion again—it's legal in some places and illegal in others. Or same-sex marriage: banned in some countries but totally okay in Spain, Canada, Brazil...you get the idea.

Relativism is all about cultural beliefs or personal views. In my culture (Ilocano and Kapampangan), Ilocanos are known as hard workers while Kapampangans are famed for their cooking skills! Despite these differences, all societies share some basic moral rules: love your family, help your group, return favors, show bravery, respect authority, play fair, and don't mess with other people's stuff.

The Challenge of Determinism

Now let’s talk determinism. It suggests we're not really responsible for what we do unless we've got the rights or authority for it. Still following? As humans though, I think we gotta believe we're responsible for our actions no matter what!

We’ve got free will—it doesn’t mean determinism denies that freedom exists. You’re free to choose what you wanna do but remember—you gotta face those consequences too! Imagine this: someone's jailed but isn’t actually guilty; instead his attorney messed things up real bad sending him back behind bars without cause! So who’s at fault here? The imprisoned man or his lawyer?

The Wrap-Up: Amoral vs Immoral

In short terms—people who don’t care 'bout right/wrong are amoral; those doing evil stuff fall under immoral category instead! Morality boils down simply asking “what’s right” versus “what’s wrong." Like finding something valuable lying around—isn't yours so return it! Even if no one's watching ya!

References

• Korsgaard C.M., "Sources of Normativity", Cambridge University Press (1996).
• Nussbaum M.C., "Frontiers of Justice", Harvard University Press (2007).
• Singer P., "Practical Ethics", Cambridge University Press (2011).
• Mackie J.L., "Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong", Penguin Books (1977).
• Ayer A.J., "Language Truth & Logic", Dover Publications Inc.; 2004 edition (2004).