Related questions:
v With specific examples, write notes on the following: (a) Morality (b) Amorality (c) Immorality
v Evaluate the concepts of morality, amorality and immorality.
INTRODUCTION
The clarification of ethical terms is the main vocation of metaethics; a branch of Ethics itself. However in this write-up, we intend to clarify the conceptual meanings of the terms “moral”, “amoral”, and “immoral”. Basically, understanding the relationship between these terms would aid in asserting what they really mean.
DEFINITION OF MORALITY
The terms moral, amoral and immoral are used in the light of morality. Thus, what do we mean by morality. Simply put, morality is the systematic implementation of a human value system that is naturally latent in man, which makes him see some actions as being objectively right or wrong, based on some codes and rules. The etymology of the term morality is derived from the Latin words “Moralia” meaning “morals” and “Mos”-meaning “conduct”.
THE CONCEPT OF THE TERM “MORAL”
In Ethics, the term “moral” is ambiguous, as it does not have one particular meaning. This is not to say it has numerous meanings, but that its meanings can be viewed from two main perspectives; in connection with “amoral” and also in connection with “immoral”.
· Moral and Amoral
As earlier established, the term “moral” has its first meaning in connection with the term “amoral”. In this light, the word “moral” means “being subject to the moral law or being morally responsible for one’s actions”. Here, being moral entails having a nature of rationality and consciousness which then makes you responsible for the behavioural choices one makes. Therefore, we can say in this light that man is a moral being.
On the other hand, the term “amoral” means “not subject to the moral law or, not being morally responsible for one’s actions”. This is because the being in question does not have the nature and capacity for rationality and consciousness. Hence, we can talk of animals and babies as amoral beings. Even psychologically disadvantaged people, to some extent, could be tagged as amoral.
· Moral and immoral
The second basic meaning of the word “moral” can be perceived in conjunction with the term “immoral”. In this sense, “moral” simply means “virtue” or “good”. Thus, one can say that man is expected to live a moral life. This implies that acts that are praise worthy any positive should be perpetuated by man. For example, acts such as benevolence, charity, loyalty, peace keeping and the likes are expected of man in society.
On the other hand, the term “immoral” means “vice” or “bad”. Hence, criminals and bandits for example could be said to be living immoral lives. For human society to be peaceful, man is admonished not to live an immoral life. Thus, acts which are negative and detrimental to peaceful co-existence like murder, rape and the likes are condemned
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CONCLUSION
The point has been made clear and the three concepts of moral, amoral and immoral has been simply clarified. However, for the sake of convention, it is noteworthy that the sense of the conjunction of moral with immoral, is the default sense in which the term “moral” has been designed to mean.
