Should Moral Theory Be Based More on Rules or Feelings - Essay Example

The categorical imperatives of Kant demand us not to tell a lie even when the life of someone may be at risk due to our rigid adherence to moral rules.3 Helga and Springer have pointed out another outcome of the traditional rules of morality, that is, some feminists have started demanding that moral laws be based on emotions and personal relationships.

According to them, the traditional approach of moral rules places too much emphasis on abstract principles and the role of reason. Though both views have some weight and there is also some room for criticism of Kantian morality as well as the feminist approach to ethics of care and emotions, the moral theory certainly should be based on rules. The main criticism of the moral theory based on rules is that these rules restrict our actions to do good which has good consequences. Human nature resists such restrictions and seeks liberty and freedom to do what pleases it.

As the end of morality is to give happiness to humanity, this happiness individuals wish to seek through doing things according to their instincts rather than guided by some set of rules. That is why; the rules of morality often fail to bind human beings to do good according to the set of rules. However, it is wrong to say that our ethical values should be based on our feelings more than the rules. Certainly, rules of morality provide us with guidelines to do certain things and help us become civilized.

For example, if people are let to do things instinctively, they would start fighting with other human beings just for the sake of their pleasure. And if people are guided by their feelings, they would prefer to do things according to what gratifies them rather than what is based on rational and reasonable. For instance, it is my feeling sometimes that life is full of troubles and I should end up in this troublesome life. However, my feelings about life are based on personal emotions and feelings which are not based on any rationale or reason.

Thus, if I act according to my feelings, it would be against the prevailing ethics and may lead the other family members to face bad consequences of morality based on my personal feelings. Similarly, morality based on feelings would be an ever-changing phenomenon as our feelings are changing constantly and if something pleases us at this particular time, it may be a matter of annoyance at another time. Thus, morality based on feelings would have to be changing constantly and no person would be sure if his act has any ethical value.

On the other hand, morality based on rules gives us guidance about our actions and interaction in a civilized society. However, what is desired from these rules is that the rules are supposed to facilitate our actions; these rules should be by our demands and should have the capacity to fulfill their real end of providing humanity its promised happiness. The values of society are not constant, these are ever-changing and good rules of morality are those which change according to the situation.