Ethics. Who needs 'em....

I've got some thoughts floating around. Real good ones. Let's get started.

I think we can all agree that every person has some sense of what is right, and what is wrong. A person may have a very skewed view of right and wrong, but at least everyone has some sense of morality. And ever since humans have had these views of right and wrong, they have been arguing over who's set of rules is right. And that is why we have so many ethical systems. Let's review a couple of these.

Divine Command Theory-- This ethical theory states that right and wrong are based on what God likes and dislikes; what he commands and forbids. So, if this is true, an act is neither right nor wrong unless God has said something about it.

Individualism-- This is the idea that right and wrong is based around what any one individual decides. This one kind of sucks. But still, it's out there, and I thought I'd present it for your ridicule.

Hedonism-- The idea that right and wrong is determined by pleasure and pain. What is good, is what brings pleasure. What is bad is what causes pain. If this assumption is correct, there is a lot of discussion to be had over how to start applying it. But think on this if you want.

Utilitariansim-- With this theory, actions are right if and only if they lead to greater good for a greater number of people than any alternative action. Again, this leaves us open to lots of discussion. But, there it is.

Kant-- Not totally sure on this one, but I am pretty sure Kant believes that actions are right or wrong in and of themselves. There are rules that we must follow, and the rules must not be broken in any situation. Something like that.

Okay...there are some theories. I don't care which you chose to believe. If you don't like any of them, I can give you some more to mull over. But, having put those in your mind, I'd like to transition now into meta-ethical territory. What is good? Where does it come from? I am going to talk about a couple things now. If at any point you disagree, please put your opinion in the comments. I will read it. Also, if you are aware of any relevant research, please direct me to it.

Regardless of what moral theory you hold, you have to cede that every person on Earth learned morality from their parents and the society they were raised in. I think it is wrong to challenge you to a duel to the death. However, in the past, that was perfectly acceptable. Even encouraged, in some situations. And this is simply a product of society. Of course, not all of morality is specific to individual cultures. Much of morality overlaps across the majority of civilization and history. For example, it is almost always wrong to kill someone for no reason at all. But where does this come from?

When I look at the very root of things, I don't really find a reason why something is bad. What I end up seeing is that we don't like something, so we called it bad. Then we taught all our kids it was bad, and now the whole world thinks it is bad to disrespect your elders.

The question I want you to all think about is this: What makes something good or bad?

I know some of you are going to be divine command theorists, and tell me that God said so, and that's that. But why did God say it was wrong for me to use your femur as an axe handle? I want someone to explain to me the source of right and wrong. Is it something ephemeral that exists in dark energy of the universe? Something we tune into as we grow older? What caused that? Why are some things right, and some things wrong?

And, if you can't explain this to me, or simply don't care to, then tell me what ethical code do you adhere to? What set of rules do you use to determine the right or wrongness of your actions?