CIM Briefing Papers

C.I.M. Outline #38  
                     MAKING MORAL DECISIONS 
I.  Introduction 
 
    A.  Someone made the comment that the greatest question of 
        our time is:  "Why should Ibe moral?" 
 
    B.  The current ethical dilemma in our society is well- 
        illustrated by a recent incident at the U. of Calif. at 
        Berkeley.  A male student came to class wearing nothing 
        but shoes.  The authorities were at a loss as to what 
        they should do.  "After all, we are a pluralistic 
        society and who are we to impose our values on him"?  
        The student repeated his behavior for two weeks before 
        it was concluded that he was guilty of sexual 
        harassment! 
 
    B.  Ethics is the study concerned with the question of 
        "oughtness".  On what basis, or on what grounds should I 
        act one way rather than another?  What makes an action 
        good or bad?  Is there some standard by which to judge 
        behavior?  Or, what is the "good"?  In philosophy, this 
        is known as the search for the summum bonum, "the 
        highest good". 
 
III.  Elements of an Ideal Ethical System 
 
      A.  The Necessity of a Standard 
 
          1.  An ethical system must have a non-question-begging 
              standard, a law above the law, by which all laws 
              can descend.  This highest good must be 
              universally applicable to all cultures and 
              generations. 
 
          2.  This standard must come from a transcendent source.  
              Rousseau said:  
 
              "To discover the rules of society that are best 
              suited to nations there would need to exist a 
              superior intelligence, who could understand the 
              passions of men without feeling any of them, who 
              had no affinity with our nature, but knew it to 
              the full, whose happiness was independent of ours, 
              but who would nevertheless make our happiness his 
              concern, who would be content to wait in the 
              fullness of time for distant glory, and to labour 
              in one age to enjoy the fruits in another.  Gods 
              would be needed to give men laws."  THE SOCIAL 
              CONTRACT, p.84. 
 
      B.  The Need for Justice 
 
          Any ethical system must provide justice in balanced 
          measure at both individual and corporate levels; it 
          must function in the here and now, and it must be 
          final. 
 
      C.  The Need of a Motive 
 
          An ethical system must have a motivating factor.  
          Knowing one's duty is insufficient.  There must be a 
          desire and ability to fulfill the demands. 
 
      D.  The Need for Balance between Rules and Results 
 
          Some ethical systems are rules oriented.  Results do 
          not matter; the emphasis is always on keeping the rules 
          regardless of the consequences.  Other systems are 
          result oriented, i.e. the end justifies the means.  A 
          good ethical system should have the proper balance 
          between rules and results. 
 
      E.  The Need for a Model 
 
          An ethical system should have some form of guidance, or 
          model, which aids in making ethical decisions in a 
          variety of circumstances. 
 
      
II.  Ethical Options (systems seeking to define the "good") 
 
     (It should be noted that all systems have some value or 
     "good" that they view in an absolute way.  In our opinion, 
     total relativism in a practical sense is impossible.  There 
     will always be ethical absolutes.  The real and important 
     question is one of derivation.) 
 
     A.  The Arbitrary Way 
 
         The definition of "good" or what I ought to do, is 
         purely arbitrary. 
 
         Forms: 
 
         1.  Personal or existential:  The "good" is whatever an 
             individual decides based on pleasure, aesthetics, 
             or emotion.  Hemingway said: " `good' is what I 
             like", i.e. hedonism.  CRITIQUE:  If every man does 
             that which is right in his own eyes (see the book 
             of Judges) there cannot be community.  Those who 
             hold this view cannot be consistent.  Try to take 
             one of their possessions! 
 
         2.  Totalitarian:  "Might makes right".  The "good" is 
             decided arbitrarily by or from a position of 
             strength.  It may be a parent or a dictator!  It's 
             right because I said so.  CRITIQUE:  This view can 
             produce a highly ordered and stable society, but at 
             the expense of human dignity and freedom. 
 
     B.  The Rational Way 
 
         Forms: 
 
         1.  Moderation:  The "good" is somewhere between two 
             extremes.  CRITIQUE:  At the first this may have 
             some appeal as in some courses of action, 
             moderation is called for.  However, it assumes one 
             can always reason a moderate course of action.  
             Also, in some cases extreme action is called for, 
             e.g. in self-defense, or war.  Should you love your 
             spouse moderately? 
 
         2.  Utilitarianism:  The "good" is what brings the 
             greatest pleasure to the greatest number.  Some 
             substitute love or justice for pleasure.  CRITIQUE:  
             It is virtually impossible to implement.  How does 
             the average man in the street calculate his every 
             action?  Also, how does one define "pleasure", 
             "love", or "justice"?  What is justice for one may 
             not be for another.  Is what you are now doing 
             bringing the greatest good to the greatest number?  
             If not, then what you are now doing is immoral 
             according to this view!  This view also has another 
             fatal flaw.  If the person doing the reasoning is 
             not morally perfect to begin with, how is he 
             expected to reason out a system free of 
             imperfection? 
 
     C.  The Empirical Way 
 
         The "good" is derived from scientific observation.  
         This is also called the Naturalistic Ethic.  This 
         ethical system has great appeal even in some Christian 
         circles.  In otherwords, we can determine what is right 
         and wrong by observing nature.  There are many 
         varieties of this approach.  Some say the "good" is 
         what insures survival.  Others say the good is what 
         maintains the ecological balance, what preserves the 
         species, or the genes.  CRITIQUE:  A major flaw in this 
         system is similar to the above--the person doing the 
         observation.  How can we be certain that correct 
         observations are being made?  This view also commits 
         the "is-ought" fallacy, or, whatever is, is right!  "My 
         behavior is right because it is the way I am".  Have 
         you heard this recently? 
 
     D.  The Democratic Way or Consensus 
 
         This view believes that the "good", or the values of a 
         society should be decided by a consensus of opinion.  
         This is certainly the prevalent view in our own 
         culture.  In the '60s, Marshall McLuhan foresaw the 
         ethical dilemma coming upon Western Civilization as a 
         result of the erosion of Christian values.  He also 
         envisioned a solution when he predicted that in the 
         future, every living human being on planet earth would 
         be connected to a central computer.  The computer would 
         be able to calculate a world-wide consensus on the 
         subject of values (see UNDERSTANDING THE MEDIA, 1964).  
         Today, this is the way politicians operate.  Laws are 
         made according to opinion polls.  During the last 
         presidential election, one candidate in particular, saw 
         his role as simply being efficient in implementing what 
         the people want.  CRITIQUE:  This is a tyranny of the 
         majority.  If the 51% are right, what about the 49%?  
         If 51% believe cannibalism is ok, is it ok?  With this 
         system, what you must reckon with, is that what is true 
         today, may not be true tomorrow. 
 
     E.  There is no Right or Wrong 
 
         There are two forms:  (1)Materialistic monism: 
         "Consciousness of Right" or "wrong" is simply a brain 
         state.  Preference for a certain behavior is simply an 
         expression of an emotional state which is reducible to 
         electro-chemical state of the brain.  (2)Eastern 
         Monism:  good and evil are illusions.  CRITIQUE:  No 
         one holding this view can live this way; it is self- 
         defeating.  For example:  if someone says "There is no 
         right or wrong; it's just a state of the brain".  
         Respond by saying: "So is your assertion!"  Is the 
         statement: "There is no right or wrong", true or false? 
 
     F.  Transcendental or Revealed Way 
 
         An Uncreated Being (wholly transcendent) created man to 
         be a moral being like Himself.  Since He is the 
         Creator, all meaning and truth is based on His essence 
         or nature.  The Creator, because He is the Creator, 
         makes the rules for His Creatures.  The rules are based 
         on who He is.  The major strength of the Christian 
         worldview is its ethical system.  It meets all the 
         criteria of an ideal system.  It has an unchanging 
         standard; when fully applied it brings justice; there 
         is a motive for obeying the standard; and there is a 
         perfect Model (Christ).   
 
         The major criticism of Christian ethics is: How can we 
         know that the Bible is really from God?  Many non- 
         christian thinkers down through the ages have confessed 
         that they do not believe Christianity is true, but yet 
         they openly confess that they like its ethical system.  
         Bertrand Russell, one of Christianity's most ardent 
         critics said: "What the world needs is Christian love 
         or compassion." (THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE ON SOCIETY, 
         p.114).  Many non-christians, like Russell, want to 
         smuggle in Christian values knowing full well the 
         bankruptcy of their own worldviews. 
 
III.  Conclusion 
 
      Christians believe that certain things are right and 
      certain things are wrong, and, that they are, and will 
      remain so for all time, and that in the future there will 
      be a final judgement where perfect justice will be 
      administered.  Furthermore, if Christianity is true, it 
      means that all non-christian ethical systems, when 
      consistently applied, are destructive and self-defeating. 
 
      Application:  Telling a homosexual his behavior is wrong 
      because the Bible says so will generally bring the 
      following response:  "I don't believe the Bible is true.  
      You can't impose your beliefs on me.  I cannot help the 
      way I am."  A better approach might be to inquire on what 
      basis he makes moral decisions.  Any of the above systems 
      he chooses will be self-condemning.  For instance:  if he 
      chooses a natural argument:  "I behave this way because of 
      the way I am".  Assume his assumption is true for the sake 
      of argument.  What then is to prevent you from saying "it 
      is alright for me to want to eliminate homosexuals because 
      I view them as a threat to survival" (a natural 
      argument!).  Note:  the argumentation should be done in 
      the light of I Pet 3:15 ("with gentleness and 
      respect...").  If the Holy Spirit brings conviction he 
      will see two things: the absurdity of his position and his 
      moral culpability.  This will be the appropriate time to 
      share God's standard and God's Remedy.  (See Romans 1). 
 
      (For a fuller development this subject request CIM's paper 
      "A Christian View of Ethics".  (23 pages)
 
 
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