On Morals and Society

By: Pat Adams

Society is a collection of people. Most societies today, and US society in particular, are so heterogeneous in their moral beliefs that they cannot be grouped together in a large moral society, since even murderers, rapists, and English teachers are part of the society. However, society has attempted to delineate their collective morality through somewhat unnecessary evils such as laws.

In small societies, morality is easier to define. If the group is relatively homogeneous, they most likely share a common set of morals. Small towns in rural areas, religious nutcases in cults, and neo-nazi gangs might fall into this category. Similar look and thinking, their proximity indoctrinates one another until their beliefs approach a common set. From this shared morality, societies are capable of horrendously immoral or amoral acts (when viewed from the outside). Small redneck towns form chapters of the KKK and drive out black people. Cultists might secede from the rest of society, even going as far as to war with it, Branch Davidians in Waco for example. Neo-nazis for gangs and kill anyone that is not them. Obviously this is a broad generalization, but these small segments of society share some common characteristics. First, their morality tends to be different from the large society that they are a part of. If they are the same they are boring, this I am ignoring peaceful subsets. Second, as far as the subsets we hear about on the news go, they are ignorant and closed to new ideas. They dislike those different from themselves, and if their collective morals dictate, the will fight against outsiders.

So while there is somewhat of a connection between societies and morals, I think that morals should be a personal thing gained through learning and examining the beliefs of others.

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