Topics Ethics

Question What the hell are morals anyway? Why can't I do whatever I want, to whomever I want? So what if I say "Screw the social contract!" I never signed anything. What's so great about morality anyway?

Accepted:
December 24, 2009

Comments

Some of the things you want to do may not be within your power; then you can't do them.

Regarding the rest, you can do whatever you want to whomever you want. If you say "screw the social contract" and do nasty things to other people, it's quite likely that the social contract will screw you back. You'll end up in jail, and there very few attractive things will be left within your power to do.

What's great about morality is that it affords a way to get along without the violence that results when some are set to do whatever they want to whomever they want and others are trying to stop and disable them. With morality widely accepted, we agree to restrain ourselves and so get less of what we want, but we also get less of what we definitely don't want: namely physical violence, jail time, and other social penalties inflicted on us. For most people, this is a good deal, and manifestly so. But perhaps not for you. Perhaps you want to do some nasty things so badly that you don't much mind going to jail for them afterward. Or perhaps you think you are so smart that you can do nasty things with impunity. If this is you, morality isn't going to stop you. But we'll at least try.

Question What the hell are morals anyway? Why *can't* I do whatever I want, to whomever I want? So what if I say "Screw the social contract!" I never signed anything. What's so great about morality anyway? Accepted:December 24, 2009

Question What the hell are morals anyway? Why can't I do whatever I want, to whomever I want? So what if I say "Screw the social contract!" I never signed anything. What's so great about morality anyway?

Accepted:
December 24, 2009