The Beauty of Right and Wrong

It is easy to forget that the moral directives and value systems by which we lead our lives are ultimately a creation of our own minds and experiences. While this observation may to the more scientifically slanted secularist mind seem achingly apparent, I can envision another type of mind reacting as if this were a statement of irredeemable blasphemy. I can also envision yet another type of mind which hears this type of remark and dims like a bulb unplugged from the wall, but that is fodder for another entry.

So much is at stake when one stops to ponder whether we are in control of the attributes of right, the elements of wrong. If there are no deific codes then we are as children in a classroom with no instructor, left with the task of educating ourselves and, possibly more significant, others. If I am mistaken and my postulate is misguided, then I suppose I’d be the child in class who enjoys staring out the window rather than developing an aptitude for long division. An essential element of each example though is the fact that we are here to learn, that as students we have a limited viewpoint and are going to need to rely on something or someone to guide us.

As may have already been assumed, I prefer to imagine that we are instructor-less, left in a room cramped tight with bodies, strange assortments of resources and imagination. Because we are in such close proximity and since it really isn’t all that comfortable, certain agreed upon resolutions must of necessity come to pass. We learned early on that the infliction of pain and suffering on top of what we already were experiencing was not in our best interest. We learned that these strange resources could be manipulated into other strange objects which, when adequately constructed, could be enhance life. These things worked better once we all agreed to toil together, develop common goals, and so on. With such productivity our imaginations were free to blossom, and such a harmonious system of society was awed at by those who created it. Generations passed and those who originally overcame the obstacles of a burgeoning world were left to dust, while their descendents reaped the reward of active mind, yearning for new frontiers. Some moved to inspect our resources more closely, further manipulating as their forebears had while others looked up.

While this may not be an entirely accurate reenactment of the millennia it took to reach our present state, it is my conviction that it’s not completely off base. That we live today is only by virtue of the shoulders we stand upon. Morals and values are no exception. Unique to our time, though not exclusive to it, are the multitude of ways we can reach the elation of having done right. A gay couple entering into matrimony experiences the same human joy of dedicating oneself to another for eternity as a straight couple. A recluse hunkered in a forest cabin constructing miniature teddy bears enjoys the same sense of a full days work as any other dedicated worker, regardless of profession.

There are arguable elements to these examples, but the bottom line is that a feeling of right comes from within. As long as it doesn’t immediately disturb the ability of others to know a similar feeling, the pursuit of right ought to be left subjective. The coincidence of overarching moral codes and values comes from centuries of societal development, of knowing our selves and understanding that those things we want or don’t want probably apply to others as well.

The opportunity is too great when crediting a deity as the foundation of moral order to experiment with manipulation, it’s our nature.