Moral Sense: the Internal Right and Wrong Pointer - Assignment Example

Weekly Questions Week Question By a “moral sense”, Wilson implies the internal right andwrong pointer or sensor within an individual that tells them what is wrong and right (Wilson 23-25). Wilson’s theory is grounded on the premise that an individual develops an inborn sense that develops as he or she interacts with the society. Wilson holds that the principal sense of an individual begins as good, and layers of bad build up as he or she intermingles with the environment. Therefore, a person’s good nature is in turn hidden by the manner layers of bad that develop with time (Wilson 27-30). Question 2 Wilson notes that individuals do what is required of them and are well-mannered and identify incidences where the requirement for confirmation is best for the community. One of the primary attributes of societies that Wilson identifies is society members share collective principles, and it appears as if regulations are a form of the collective principles for the advancement of the society (Wilson 37-40). According to Wilson (42), both law and morals purpose to dictate people’s behavior. While the law involves sanctions for disobedience, morality involves incentives, both positive and negative. Question 5 Homer’s society has no rationality of wickedness or guilt, and personal internal control is absent. Instead, people in the society are controlled and guided by social rules. However, this may be confusing since an individual may not know what to think of it (Wilson 45). This is because if they are not guided by conscience, but social rules, how did people developed the need to appease other people and collaborate within the society. On the other hand, Plato sees the people as controlled by internal conscience that attempts to achieve harmony within every individual (Wilson 53-5). Question 6 In Omelas, the child suffered in place of the whole community, and thereafter everyone went on with their business and activities in a paradise with no sin or guilt. All this was done in order to keep the boy in the basement away from the public. Everyone who had interacted with the boy only kicked his food, and he could not apprehend what was going on (Wilson 63-68). Notably, the city is in peace, and everyone is in pleasure simply because the boy is suffering and kept away. To make matters worse, the people know that the boy is there, and they are okay with it. In this case, everyone in the city chooses pleasure over morality. Question 7 Though it has been decades since his death, Freud set a center stage for continued research. This is because even up to today, some of his theories are used while others have been replaced with new theories. Secondly, Freud came up with theories with little empirical evidence to support them. Many of these theories such as boys’ lust after their mothers and not fathers has no empirical evidence. Additionally, the video portrays Freud as misogynous in that he believed that women were weak social beings and that they were the problems in the societies. Week 2 Question 1 According to Wilson, sympathy is a sense of ethics and personal obligation. For sympathy to be seen, a person has to be moved by people who are suffering and act based on personal obligation (Wilson 72-3). It also has a sense of autonomy may be fueled by feelings towards the oppressor or the oppressed. Wilson acknowledges that sympathy is natural and that it is not given to people through genes. If it were through genes, then people would be caring only for their immediate families (Wilson 76). Question 2 The "Good Samaritan" parable is often used a model of sympathy because of the extremes portrayed in the story. The story is about a Levite, a priest and a Samaritan, who all came across a mad man beaten to almost death. However, the Levite and the Priest passed the lying man and did nothing to him apart from looking at him (Wilson 82-86). When the Samaritan found the man, he stopped and helped the man. The primary contrast and irony in the story is the priest was anticipated to stop and assist but he did not. The contrast is seen when the Samaritan, a social enemy to the injured man, offered help and even provided the man accommodation till when he was well. This example shows how much people can stretch to others and how they can help even when it is their enemies in dilemma. Question 5 No. Zimbardo does not a make a deal with the devil. Zimbardo notes that it is far more than that as the devil subsists in almost everyone. Zimbardo noted that most heroic deeds are performed by ordinary people who happen to be in a given condition of emergency, or immorality, of corruption, of evil that offers them a chance to act on it. Additionally, Zimbardo defended Chip Frederick because he chose to do it. He did it because he was controlled by free-will, which is an illusion that guides human behavior. Week 3 Question 1 Yes, children are good examples of human fairness. This is because they are born with a sense of unselfishness and fairness. Children have a sense of unselfishness and fairness that develops as they are assimilated into the social setting (Wilson 105-09). Question 2 When one is observing children play, he or she cannot miss a fight or argument between two or more children. One of the children wants a toy and the other also wants. This is not only because there is a commotion, but shows the sharing that takes place (Wilson 112-114). It is possible to get a child who shares their toys while at home, but tends to become selfish when at school or daycare. In this case, most of the children start out as unselfish but later develop to be selfish because of the environment around them. If a child subsists in a setting where big boys bully them and take their toys, then the child will develop to be selfish. Question 3 It is impossible to define society and justice through the determination of the toughest. In this regard, the strength of the strongest will reign over the weak and will be subjected and overpowered to the determination of the social order. Therefore, the morals would those establish by those with the strength. Based on this point, Rousseau questions whether justice is attainable in this setting (Wilson 127-30). In order for this to be successful, those with power would have to compel others to follow their will. Question 4 I trust that justice and impartiality can be resolved through looking at Nazi Germany since many of the societies and communities function under social order and understanding. In essence, most of the people will obey the government and authority in order to maintain this understanding and social order. The Nazi Germany was established by men who had been trained on how to live. However, there were some good Nazi’s that offered a helping hand to the Jews, which by doing so put his life at risk. Many of the Jews succumbed to deficiency in self and self-confidence of the Nazi soldiers. This shows that it is challenging to subsist in a society when one is required to act against the grain (Wilson 133-4). The people that decide to go against the rest of the flock are self-confident and self-aware. The Nazi’s were not. Question 5 The idea of moral freedom under the law portrays the moral action to the truth of its presumed situation of free-will. The idea of moral freedom denotes that morality requires both causality and freedom (Wilson 152-58). For an individual to perform the right action, the action should have an effect in the real world and the person should carry out such an action with complete freedom from external forces. Freud notes that when an individual makes a choice, he, or she must act under the idea of freedom. Week 4 Question 1 Ediquette is seen as social impacts instead of a morality. These are learned reactions instead of inborn moral and differ extremely between cultures and have different purposes in the distinct cultures (Wilson 169-73). In this case, ediquette is not a form of morality. In essence, it is inclined to social regulation. For instance, this is seen in United States where whatever was viewed as appropriate ediquette in the 80’s is absent today. Question 2 Although it may not apply to every person, I trust that there is a biological element in self-control. I also trust that there is a proportion of people that suffer from biological disparities that influence their aptitudes to think and in turn cause a lack of aptitude to control themselves. Some people lack the basic capabilities to control themselves. Question 3 Morality may be inborn in humans. There is a ‘neuromoral’ network in humans that reacts to moral dilemmas. This network consists of mirror neurons that are the cornerstone of language, empathy, and moral sense. Mirror neurons are used in transmission of affectivity from one person to the other (Wilson 186-93). Additionally, theses neurons arbitrate aversive reactions associated with the social context, change the reactions based on response and constrain involuntary impetuous behaviors. Question 4 Religion is essential, but rituals are not essential and so is how they influence morals and self-control. Individuals have an innate feeling of what is wrong and right, and they come to apprehend them better from interaction with the environment. On the other hand, religion is viewed as a ritual and a conviction to a particular faith (Wilson 215-21.. Religion is attached to us all, and we would not be alive without it. The idea that people evolved from an ape has no base. We all have God’s attributes, which we use to differentiate between wrong and right. Question 5 Religion encompasses controlling oneself. This implies that the religion is an element of self-control. God requires people to obey his will, which is a form of being controlled in order to appease Him (Wilson 232-35). Following God’s will is a decision that a person makes according to their conviction. God requires us to be obedient to Him not by force but will. Week 5 Question 1 Fulfilling duties and the longing for an attachment: Wilson (142) says that people often fulfill duties for the benefit they each obtain for the particular act. However, as he continues, being faithful to obligations often drive people to fulfill duties even without gain or burden from the act. They feel better about themselves when they perform spectacular acts from duty. All people long for attachment and everybody want to be needed and included. Often, people act based on duty based on a particular status they gain from within a peer group. Attachment binds people to others and makes them desire for others to, as well, act on their behalf when needed (Wilson 143). Question 2 Based on the Hitler Youth and duty, the youth were trained to hate Jews besides being conditioned to submit and obey their commanders. Their actions involved no sense of duty but belief in the Hitler and his commanders’ doctrines. This was an example of a situation where a social structure can go horribly wrong. The Nazi environment built youthful individuals that largely acted, believing they were acting on duty to the cause. But, their actions were answering to a point in their environment where it had become difficult for anyone to oppose the Hitler regime. They became conditioned not question, either their Commanders or even Hitler. In addition, as at their youthful stage they will still lack a sense of self an only acted to conditions (Wilson 169). Question 3 It appears to me that there is a slim difference between duty and indoctrination. Although, both can mean instilling something; the difference lies is the motive or expectation behind what is being instilled. As seen in Hitler Youth, indoctrination centers on brainwashing (Wilson, 2). In Hitler youth the young soldiers, while growing up, were indoctrinated, and they had an expectation instilled upon them. In their case it their actions happened to be not questioning the events around them but they were also to develop tolerance to others’ suffering as well. The Hitler Youth was not acting to duty but to indoctrination (Wilson 168). Question 4 Hitler’s soldiers were not acting on duty but on condition. Moreover, U.S. soldiers felt no morality on fighting the Iraq war. According to Wilson (169), duty lies on a person’s urge to take action on a situation. The urge, which feels like demand to act, is what makes a person need to take action on a situation. To some extent, duty lies with moral feeling. Morality defines a person’s judgment on god or bad or right from wrong. However, when the morality is overshadowed with conditions it loses its essence. Duty lies on a person’s judgment and refusing such orders, which are presumed are of the unjust cause, is an important duty to a soldier (Wilson 177). Question 5 My personal definition of “duty” is that duty is an imposed demand or need, and something that’s external to a person, which arises due to a particular situation at hand. For instance, a man has a duty, need or demand, to provide for his family. In such a case, his primary role i.e. what he needs is to provide for his family. Although this concept is changing today but it is true that to say that this is the primary understanding and use of the word “duty”. I think the duty arises from imposed social and societal rules. Duty is a set norm or rather something that is constantly developed within a society (Wilson 183). Question 6 After WW1 people were left desperate, broke and overwhelmed. Properties were lost, and jobs were scarce. Germany became isolated in Europe. The film was produced to emulate how Hitler would be able to save the people and give them prosperity. The films overriding theme depicts Germany as a great power and Hitler as a leader who will give Germans glory. To a people hungry and financially desperate, such a leader can be their savior. Week 6 Question 1 The first births of intelligence are developed through the coordination and multiplication of reflex actions. Many of the modest instincts graduate into reflex actions and the more complex ones seem originate independently form intelligence (Wilson 210). Some of the intelligent actions, after occurring for numerous generations, are transformed into instincts and are passed on, for example, the oceanic island birds learn to avoid the man. High degree intelligence is harmonious with complex instincts. To these, it is evident that the intelligence is related to instincts and pure judgment is the subject of moral instincts. The more complex the instincts an organism possess, the higher the intelligence of moral judgment (Wilson 212). Question 2 According to Darwin those insects, like ants, which possess the most brilliant instincts are the most intelligent. As Darwin outlines, we can conclude, with respect to complex instincts, when we mirror on the wonderful instincts of the sterile worker-ants and bees. Ants have a moral sense because they have developed the habit of working hard and under their first trial and produce an essential outcome. This, according to Darwin, is contrary to man who acts on imitation and tires more than ones to produce the right result. Like men, ants also have a feeling and their young ones also play like human children (Wilson 213). Question 3 Humans are no doubt more intelligent than lower animals as seen by their sociability with nature and other animals. The cases of feral children provide perfect examples to this course. The fact that feral children can be adopted, co-exist and socialize with other humans more quickly indicates how naturally humans are superior to other lower animals in the hierarchy of nature. While lower animals need training on how to do what they should do when living with humans or fellow animals, feral children, likes all humans act by observation and socialize naturally (Wilson 216). Question 4 As seen earlier, feral children are a true case of humans’ natural sociability. Socialization is, therefore, an essential characteristic attribute of humans. As humans socialize with other animals, they provide the primary learning point for these animals to become socialized with one another and humans. It is no doubt that lower animals while alone out of human sight, are sociable. However, certain animals learn to be sociable only with their species. To this end, humans form basis of inherent socialization for such animals with other animals of different species. For instance, dogs can learn to socialize with cats under human training (Wilson 215). Question 5 Richards’ theory on Darwin’s indifference between Deism and atheism is very clear. According to Richard Dawkins analogy in his 1986 book The Blind Watchmaker Charles Darwin was more deist than atheist. The watchmaker analogy held that Darwins theory was fit with "the principle of uniformitarianism”. In this principle, all worlds’ processes occur now as they have in the past. Therefore, deistic evolution provided an explanatory framework for understanding species variation in a mechanical universe. Charles Darwin observed the world, rejected the existence of a spiritual being that brought the world and its inhabitants, and concluded that his observations could have scientific proof. According to Richard, that was the true spirit of deism (Wilson 217-19). Week 7 Question 1 Gay and lesbian Parenting: In reference to Wilson (218), I believe that gay and lesbian parents they can’t do and can do just as good of a job as families with both sexes. This is because, in one hand, each gender brings something different to the children in the family. It’s no doubt that same gender will provide same parental love like both genders. I do think that gay parenting can do a very good job. However, in the end the child will lack in some important elements in a certain area of life skills. Although the inadequacy might be little, and the different might be insignificant, children learn different thing from different sexes (Wilson 219). Question 2 I believe, according to Wilson (223) that the work of unmarried couples cannot match the parenting of married couples. It is no doubt that married couples will put more effort in providing time and staying put for the children demands. However, their absence in the child’s life most of the time has a great impact. Just like in gay parenting, the presence of the other parent in the child’s life all the time is very vital. Unmarried couples will love their children, but there is an enormous significance of both their presence at the same time in the child’s life. Question 3 My view of single parents, traditional and “nontraditional” families are that I don’t think that single parents in the modern world cannot do as good job as traditional families. This goes back to my view about the contrast between gay and lesbian couples. God made a nuclear family thrive, and that’s what we need (Wilson 221). Single parents show love to their children, like they often love their children more than two parent families. However, there is still certain value that the missing parent can provide that is not being fulfilled to the child. They can come close to fulfilling them but not completely. Question 4 Rule-obsessed vs. laissez-faire parents: in my view, both are worse but the degree differs. Leaving children free without interference, Laissez-free, will lead them to the traditional view of “world’s teaching” that can be worse than being rule-obsessed. On the other end, being rule-obsessed will affect the child’s esteem and create fear rather of rules rather than respect. A practice of both is worse since in parenting different situations call for different parenting styles (Wilson 224). Question 5 I agree with Nichol’s theory of morality in the video supplement that morality is subject to emotions. While philosophers have fought to answer this question for centuries, there is recent work in cognitive science that suggests the significant role of emotions individual’s normal ability to think about morality. The studies specify that psychopaths lack understanding of morality. Moreover, when particular defects are found in brain regions linked with emotions, the patients make unusual decisions around difficult moral problems. Concurrently, emotions alone do not account for moral judgment, but our emotional brain shapes the models of what we perceive as moral (Wilson 227). Week 8 Question 1 I believe that gender roles are biological. We (men and women) were built differently. Men are built with bigger bones, more muscle figures and are by nature logical. On the other hand, women’s bodies are intended for child bearing. Women have larger pain thresholds than men and are more emotional. It’s no doubt that their emotional piece allows them to be more nurturing to children than men. If we step back a little and it’s visible that different gender traits and physical frames are there for them to complement one other. The different designs prepare them for their roles at home and in the family (Wilson 226). Question 2 The difference between Kohlberg and Gilligan arguments on gender and morality: The differences between the propositions of Gilligan and Kohlberg boil down to whether females and males define morality in different views. According to Kohlberg, men focus on justice concerns while Gilligan argue that females are more focused on relationship and caring needs. Gilligan’s theory of ethics of care argues that women and girls incline empathy over logic in their decision making. Kohlberg, on the other hand, centered moral development around the ability of men to make decisions based on abstract, universal principles of duty, justice and the use of neutral logic and reason (Wilson 229). Question 4 Media miss portrayal of gender roles and differences: The media is very influential especially to children when it comes to perspectives. Young children are particularly vulnerable because they lack the critical capacity essential to separate between fantasies from reality or to fathom irony and ignore stereotypes. In the media girls and women are more likely to be shown in different ways from men. For instance, they can be shown at home, executing domestic chores like cooking or laundry while men do more masculine chores. In business men occupy higher ranks than women or women may be shown as caring but dependent victims who can’t protect themselves while masculinity is often linked with the independence, emotional detachment, competition, violence and aggression (Wilson 231). Question 5 An example in which personality overrode gender stereotype: Personality is important in the society. In my home town, it is a gender stereotype that men must hold the door for women. I ones saw a man leave his lady at the door of the hotel lobby. The lady was waiting for his man to hold the door for her to pass, but the man went ahead and passed leaving the lady ashamed. When he was asked, the man argued that it was only necessary under certain circumstances. Controversy in Rhodes’ work in gender differences and the morality question: even though always controversial, Rhodes’ work on morality and the gender differences are quite true. In this work, Rhodes depicts the real differences between men and women in their creation and nature. In references to Kohlberg and Gilligan there are different roles and responsibilities different for men and women because of their gender difference. It’s obvious that men and women are different on the mental level. The world would be a good or rather better place if we simply accept the nature as it is and give women a position in society that is better suited for them rather than confusing the whole society (Wilson 232). Week 9 Question 1 Moral behavior as a universal aspiration: morality is a universal aspiration. Wilson (235) is referring to an internal bad and a good indicator, or a built-in sensor that tells us what, in our thinking, is wrong or right and a “moral sense”. His premise is that every individual develops it in an inherent sense developed from early childhood experiences with family. Wilson (225) also considers that the core and center of a person are by default good and that as we pass through life we build layers of bad. And that our good nature is hidden by the deposits of bad built up over time. Question 2 Swift’s sarcastic reference of socio-economic oppression in “A Modest Proposal:” Despite what you the outward view of Swift’s meaning in the essay “A Modest Proposal”, the essay is a satire masterpiece filled with irony (Wilson 256). The essay was not proposed to convince Irish people to literary eat babies, but to call attention to the exploitations Catholic’s faced from their affluent Protestants. He used eating babies in his essay to explain the impossible problems the Protestants were imposing on the Irish Catholics. By meaning, Swift meant that by making their life hard, the Protestants were making a life of a newborn Irish Catholics impossible (Wilson 260). Question 3 The power of peer pressure, according to Orwell’s essay “Shooting An Elephant” is very dangerous. In the essay, Orwell is influenced to shoot an elephant that he didn’t want to shoot in the first place. Nonetheless, the power of peer pressure forced Orwell to act out on the will of his peers around him. This essay powerfully demonstrates how peer pressure can influence people neglect their morals and consciousness on order to please the peers around them (Wilson 280). Question 4 Elliot’s experiment with children and Wilson’s innate nature of morality: Elliot’s experiments do not undermine Wilson’s (Wilson 288) innate nature of morality but encourage Wilson’s thinking (Wilson 292). Most people don’t are not immoral because morality is a universal aspiration. One of the key features of societies is that members share common ideals in similar situations. As seen in Elliot’s reverse blue-eyed-brown-eyed scenario, it appears that people act on shared ideals for their gain. Question 5 Why choose moral behavior over self-interest? Or should we? We should choose moral behavior over self-interest because according to the ideals of morality, choosing good or correct is superior to choosing bad or wrong. According to Wilson (296), morally, self-interest is wrong for it is a person’s gain rather than societal or communal gain. Wilson (298) also believes that internal good or morality that everyone is born with is the only choice that we should have rather than self-interest. Question 6 Pinker’s ideas and the theories of Wilson and Darwin: Pinker is known for his true advocacy of evolution psychology and the computational theory of the moral mind. In this essence, pinker supports Darwin’s evolution theory and Wilson’s (Wilson 297) morality. In his widely held books, Pinker has argued that the human capacity for language is natural; an innate performance shaped by Darwin’s natural selection and adapted to Wilson’s idea of our communication needs in morality (Wilson 303). Week 10 Question 1 A list of moral universals: there are several moral universals among which include doing or treating others as you would want them to do to you, respect, protection of the environment and kindness. In addition, being faithful to friends and family, not cheating or stealing, not falsely accusing others, being honest fair and just and taking care our parents when they get old are also universal. Christians also have their universal codes of conduct in the name of the Ten Commandments (Wilson 309). Question 2 Essentials of moral sense in a human being: Human morality requires free will. The essentials or morality, according to Wilson, are nature and social conditioning. Nature and social conditioning cements human behaviors. Wilson (312) exhibits that only the most spoiled of women and men lack prospective for a moral response. A good example is the Nazis who helped some Jews against the will of their social order. They were acting out of natural instincts (Wilson 313). Question 3 Are most people basically moral or immoral? Most people are moral until they experience certain things that corrupt their morality. For example, most people aren’t law breakers, are considerate and recognize situations that will benefit the society. Their morality is seen by the universal need for good and benefit on their fronts. However, most people are influenced with etiquette (Wilson 320). Question 4 In my opinion concerning the principles put forth in the two video supplements, free will, predetermination and determinism, are met by Perceiving Reality. The structure of ourselves is explained as entrenched within certain factors that regulate our characteristics and conduct from within our genes and environment. Raymond’s ideas are so coherent and narrated flawlessly as he explains as process of determinism (Wilson 322). Works Cited Wilson, J. Q., N. May, and Blackstone Audiobooks. The moral sense. Ashland, Or.: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007. Print. Read More