MAPA, Christelle Lois Ann S.

2013051403

4LM2
September

22, 2016
What Makes Us Moral?
Our world is filled with different creatures and we, as human beings,
are obviously distinct from all the others in this planet. This does not just
refer to our physical attributes but it was said that what makes us entirely
separate is our highly developed sense of morality. Distinguishing right from
wrong is an innate character in our beings. Moreover, we are not naturally
selfish as if minding only our own situations, but we also tend to feel for
others. In that sense, our morality becomes affected with the pain that they
may also be encountering.
Man is indeed, a social being. Despite our knowledge of the different
regulations of our society, we still unconsciously bind ourselves with the
social convention that is inherent within us. In the given situation in the text,
the child as he was taught that eating in the classroom is wrong becomes
bound by said rule. On a different note, if the child was taught to push
another student, he would insist that such is not right even if someone in
authority already countenanced the supposed act. From here, we could see
how we also envision morality instinctively.
Another point emphasized in the text said, The deepest foundation on
which morality is built is the phenomenon of empathy. As humans, we are
not just limited to having a protective instinct, like that of the chimpanzee.
We do not just sympathize, we empathize. We do not just pity the situation of
other people; we understand them through our own experiences and the
innumerable feelings that we have carried from such involvement. Through
our own encounters, we can easily identify what would lead to the
betterment of the situation and what would not thus, leading to the
development of our morality and of others as well.

In the continuous test of our morality, it is still the experiences that

have become our best teachers. It does not just give us a surface level kind
of learning, but it lets us have an instant application of the knowledge we
have acquired. Would we answer help to other people even if they are on far
away places or would we just reach out to those that are closer to our
homes? Our morality is confronted to our issues with convenience. Is our
compassion restricted to the trials of people we always see and not those
which are merely described to us? Our morality is challenged by our trust
issues.
With all of these in mind, one would come up with the realization that
morality is a choice. It is already rooted in our beings mind and heart. Life
has led us to the possession of morality as a whole and the manner of using
it was the one left to our discretion. Therefore, it is just up to us on how we
are going to use it as we face the struggles of life and in relating to other
people. Supposedly, morality was absolute. Then, it became a choice.