What have I really learned this quarter? I think one of the most important aspects of morality that I have learned this quarter has come out of our group projects on genocide throughout the world. Being able to do the project on Bosnia helped me learn in many different ways. It not only shed insight onto a modern conflict to which I had little previous knowledge, but also it showed me the different ways in which different people and world powers view the same situations. Through the Bosnia project I was able to better understand why the U.S.A reacted the way they did, even though I was in disagreement with their actions. I learned that the U.S viewed the situation in Bosnia as ethnic disputes that had broken out into warfare, but not a full out genocide, which would entail one race trying to completely exterminate another. In my opinion I think what took place during the Bosnian Crisis is still a genocide, or an ethnic cleansing, regardless of the legal definition of the term.

So after finishing the project I came to a better understanding of negative (in my opinion) political and legal influences on foreign affairs, even ones where mass slaughters takes place. Yet more importantly, out of this project came the realization of how hard it can be to place blame in modern day situations. We would like to be able to point out exactly who is to blame, and have then sentenced accordingly. In fact the opposite happened for a while in Bosnia, the major leaders were tried for crimes against hummanity, and that was easy to discern the blam, but many other people who were tried received very small sentences, such as 4 years in prison after killing so many. Many of those tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity used the excuse that they were only following orders from their superiors, yet then the higher ranking officials denied all claims of orders for mass slaughter.

Probably the second most interesting thing I have learned this semester has been the similarities between many different moral systems such as Confucius’ and Buddha’s moral systems and the moral system preached by Jesus. Before studying these moral systems or religions in depth I didn’t ever know a whole a lot about either of them. In fact I thought they were really different from Christianity’s moral system and weren’t similar at all. But after learning more about each of them and taking time to read about them, I have come to realize that many of the morals they provide are similar to those of Christianity even though they were created hundreds of years before. The thing I found most interesting was the Five Precepts in Buddhism. Many of them are very similar to the 10 commandments that Christians try to follow in accordance to the parable of the rich young man, such as do not kill , steal, or be unchaste.

Even some of the underlying principles in Confucius’ moral system are similar to those taught by Jesus. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as well as or enemies, I think the same kind of message can be seen with some interpretation of Confucius’ message. He taught about social problems and the virtuous relationship between neighbors, but also, having seen what war and mass slaughter can do to relationships between neighbor states, he decided that what matters most is not the military power one posses, but the level of exaltation of their culture. I think this can be interpreted to be similar to a teaching of loving our neighbors.

Another thing worth noting, that I have learned this quarter, has been the differences between the morality Jesus teaches and the morality of the Old testament that we studied freshmen year. During Freshmen year we learned about the Old Testament's picture of a vigilant God who would strike down the sinners or flood the world to punish humans. Yet Jesus teaches us to love everyone, our neighbors as well as our enemies. He lists different ways we should respond to things like anger and our enemies, many that are different than those from the Old Testament. But the part that I really found interesting was when we apply his moral system to our lives, with the Beatitudes, often I see that I am not living my life to be poor in sprit or to be a peacemaker. This thought allowed me to realize that when I call my self a Christian I don’t realize that I often don’t live by some of the basic Christian morals.

Overall I have liked learning learning more about morality, this quarter I have learned a lot more than I expected already, and what I have learned has been insightful and thought provoking. It also has provided great material for reflection on my life to help me see how my morals affect my actions.