Journal One: Why Study
Morality
1.The
first section asks, “Why Study Morality?” and gives several reasons and
examples. The first of five reasons is to become aware of the many moral decisions
I make, for instance my decisions about honesty, drinking, materialism, and
faith. The second reason to study morality is to begin to understand the
reasons behind my choices, the sources of the beliefs upon which I am basing my
decisions. For example, I will begin to see how advertising, television, and
religion affect my morality. Thirdly, we study morality so that we begin to see
moral issues in history, literature, news, movies, culture and music. In class
we looked at Aesop’s Fables, Lynching Photography in America, and cited various
works of literature, songs, and movies that involve moral issues. Fourth and
importantly, I study morality in order to notice ways to improve my morality as
well as the morality of the cultures around me. Finally, I will begin to
understand how a culture forms its morality and how those morals can become
unjust.
2.A."What morality did you grow up with?" The
morality I grew with was one influenced by my parents, the books they read to
me, and my grade school. First, my parents are very religious, and they taught
me the value of religion. We sat in the front few rows at church every week so
that I would pay better attention, and they told me bible stories as well as
about church teachings, and taught me my prayers well. Secondly, they read me
stories from books like Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Book of Virtues, and Lives of
the Saints for Kids. These stories taught me basic values of life and morality
such as honesty, the four cardinal virtues and the theological virtues in the
form of captivating stories whose value I realized only when mom or dad would
point out the moral of the story. Finally, My grade school, Gateway Academy,
had a strong religion program integrated into all aspects of my education, from
the obvious lessons in religion class, to frequent reception of the sacraments,
to praying before class, and most of all talking about religion at any time,
not only during set aside faith times.
B."Why
do people do anything wrong?" Because they are always seeking happiness, but
often do not see that their actions lead away from, not towards, happiness.
Sins of greed originate with the desire for happiness through money. Students
cheat because they want to avoid pain at the very least, and at the most get a
good grade which brings happiness without studying, which is pain and the time
saved not studying can be filled with pleasurable pursuits. People drink too
much because they enjoy the sensation and the dropping of all cares that stress
them out and keep them from happiness. People do wrong things because they are
seeking happiness in the wrong way.
C."We Tend to assume the values of those with whom we spend time. Cite one person who has influenced your values." My
dad has rubbed off on me. Although I don’t always agree with him, spending time
with him has had a strong influence on both my work ethic and my views of
economics. He has been an example of hard work for me in his countless hours
fixing up the house and doing yard work, as well as his long days at his
office, leaving before me and getting home after me my whole life. Also, my
dad’s views of economics, which he subtly expressed at dinnertime conversations
as I grew up and he explained news stories to me, have influenced my views on
the ideal economic system. I am still informing myself and deciding in my mind
what the best system of economics is, but he has been able, and is still able
even under my toughest questioning, to soundly justify his stance in a
reasonable way, the free-enterprise system that seems most fair and just,
myself having read about the structures and histories of other systems
throughout time and the world.
3.The
film, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” has affected me deeply and also represents
countless moral dilemmas as another example of why we study morality.
4.How
will I ensure that I act upon my morals always, especially now that I may be
slightly changing my moral system due to this class (and have already begun to
do so through the right speech experiment)? I hope that I will become so
certain of my morals that I can act on them in every situation, but I know it
will be hard, and wonder how I will overcome the many challenges to morality all
around me all of the time.
5.Finally,
I will live the right speech experiment always, as I am trying to do. I will be
ever aware of the words I am saying and how people are likely reacting to them,
and will work to lessen and eventually eliminate dishonesty, uncharitablity,
and vulgarity from my speech.