It is said that in November of 1724, at Lakhta along the Finnish Gulf to inspect some ironworks, Peter the Great, the Tsar and first Emperor of Russia, saw a group of soldiers drowning near shore and, wading out into near-waist deep water, came to their rescue. This icy water rescue is said to have exacerbated Peter’s disease, his bladder problems which was operated in the summer of 1723, and caused his death. Regardless of Peter’s persona, the moral of the story is his selflessness and devotion – which draw praise from the others and it is called a moral act, doesn’t it?
Do you think that a mother’s innate affection for her child is a moral act? A mother’s selflessness towards her child is beyond doubt, but what about her attitude towards the child of her neighbor? She will not treat her neighbors’ children the same as hers. Hence, since motherly love is an innate behavior which originates in her nature, it is called amoral. Moreover, it is opposite to Golden rule which is said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.”
In some religious ideologies, kindness and sympathy to men are emphasized regardless of their character. In other words, love and kindness form the central points of morality in some religions. Men are recommended to favor their fellows no matter what kind of person s/he is. For instance, a murderer, oppressor, burglar, etc. are supposed to be forgiven rather than being punished. Do you think that letting one to violate others’ rights with impunity is a moral act?
Imagine that a shepherd has driven the wolf from the sheep’s throat, has he done a moral or immoral act? The sheep thanks the shepherd and praises him for his act, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. So, this act seems moral to the sheep and immoral to the wolf. Regarding human beings, some believe that if you forgive a killer, it will be a moral act, but if you punish him, it will be immoral. I strongly deny this idea and believe that the opposite is true. If you forgive a killer, oppressor or violator of a person’s rights, it will be a great injustice to the victims. Moreover, they will be encouraged and continue their criminal acts.
If politicize the discussion, consider Taliban who organize attacks against innocent people, including women and children. They carry out suicide attacks without iota of mercy and it doesn’t matter for them whether the victims are innocent. If the government releases them with impunity, it will lead to the death of many other innocent individuals and will lack morality. Within Karzai’s presidential period, when Taliban were released from prisons, it did not only add insult to the injury of victims’ families but also led to further victimization. Many freed Taliban were recaptured in battles against Afghan military forces. Thus, kindness to a human, empty of humanity is an immoral act. Do you agree that, morally, a human should be loved and favored just for being a human?
It is widely accepted that showing kindness to animals is an act of moral. Morally, they are supposed to be fed, kept safe and sanitized. Although, animals are kept for the men’s advantages, if you beat them or kept them hungry for long hours, one will call this act immoral. But if you just feed a dog on the street or pat your pet, you will be called a moral man. Therefore, morality doesn’t necessarily belong to favoring men but also to animals.
In the past, there were two brothers. One of them was a tinsmith who worked very hard before the heat which made him sweat profusely. The other’s job was to salute the king in his palace. He felt very comfortable earning money without shedding sweat and working hard. One day he asked his brother, the tinsmith, why he was working so hard from dawn till dusk and not earning money by saluting the king as he did. His brother replied that his job was far more honorable than saluting the king.
It is very common among the heroes who respect moral values at the cost of their lives. In other words, the high-minded individuals’ claim to fame is to free their souls from the evils whether their bodies are cut into pieces. For instance, some die to keep their moral values safe from erosion or their religious beliefs from distortion. Our religious leaders are the best examples who fought heroically against the evils and deemed a dignified death far more honorable than undignified life. Though, they were killed, their heroism and devotions are recorded in human’s history and their blood carries great messages to future generations. Moreover, they are praised highly by men and their high-mindedness is the moral of the stories. Do only a few numbers of people belonging to a particular religion or group pay tribute to them?
There are some common principles among men which are commended by each person irrespective of their religion, creed, culture or group. Undoubtedly, everyone admires devotion, kindness, sympathy, honesty, etc. For instance, a child gives you an apple to keep for him, but you eat it rather than keeping. He will stare at you with mistrust knowing that you have betrayed him. So, betrayal and other evils are hated commonly as honesty is commended.
Morality is not something innate such as parental loves or emotional acts. When you feel hungry you eat something or you just love your friends emotionally – they are not called moral acts. If you feel sympathy and help a criminal escape from the law or police, you have done even immoral act. Morality originates in your reason and conscience. You follow the reasonable orders of your wisdom, which is not colored by your sensation, it is called morality. But it should be noted that if you help someone as a reaction to his support or expecting something in favor, it is not called a moral act. Rather morality is a selfless act that you do for others without any expectations – which draws people’s praise.