Understanding Regulatory Systems: Morality, Ethics, and Social Norms

Regulatory Systems

Anthropology and cultural history show that all societies have developed a moral, i.e., a regulatory system, which usually includes:

• A way of being human, of their status and virtues, a role model
• A model of society

These three models are backed by a set of rules, which usually come with great authority. In ancient times, this authority was normally attributed to a god or a legendary lawmaker. Currently, it is the legitimate reason.

Usual, Moral, and Right

Standard from habit. For example, whether we eat with our hands or using utensils, what clothes we wear, or whether we go naked, etc. Imposed by social training.

Moral standards. For example, we should pity the suffering. Imposed by social pressure.

Rules of law. For example, we have to pay taxes. Constraint imposed by authority.

Concepts of Moral Philosophy

Moral: A normative system of a society that determines what is good and bad behavior. There are many morals across cultures.

Philosophy of Morality: Studies morality as part of human culture, according to its genealogy and validity criteria.

Ethics: A moral cross, drawn by reason, taking advantage of society’s moral experience.

Factors Motivating the Entry into Moral Crisis

• Movements critical of the standards or their foundations emerge within society.
• Social or cultural changes raise moral problems that the former system is not capable of solving.
• The emergence of great moral and religious figures that show a new way of understanding life.
• Contact with other morals and cultures, undermining confidence in one’s own infallibility.

The Origin of Morality

Morals are complex systems that have a long history, in which very diverse influences converge. We consider them the result of social intelligence. Each person has their private project of happiness; their desires and interests must be coordinated with other people. At the bottom of this dynamism is the tireless pursuit of happiness by humans, an effort led by our greatest needs and expectations. While the objectives may be very different, as each of us has our own idea of happiness, basic desires are universal. These desires influence each other: our selfish desire to enjoy is controlled by our need to live with others.

A Shared Rationality

We consider the history of mankind as the ship of the moral test. In the case of morality, this requirement makes us go a step further and seek a shared rationality, social rationality, to publish or communicate. Relying on history, we can propose a law of moral progress of mankind: every society, culture, or religion, when it gets rid of extreme poverty, fear, ignorance, dogmatism, and hate for its neighbor, is moving toward an ethical model convergently.

The 9 Great Moral Issues

• The afterlife, death, gods, life
• Sense of value given to life
• Property, its ownership, and distribution
• The weak
• Care conflicts of interest
• The exercise of power and duties of the community
• The deal with foreigners and with different people
• Sexuality, procreation, and family