This paper will firstly demonstrate the ability of people to be good or bad, as opposed to one or the other. To begin with, this paper will discuss two examples of good people, Albert Einstein and Martin Luther King, followed by two examples of bad people, King Leopold II of Belgium and Pol Pot. Secondly, this paper will demonstrate why it is necessary to adopt a flexible moral code using the examples of the Aztecs, who were forced to swap one rigid moral code for another, and Harry Truman, who was forced to choose between two unethical decisions. In conclusion, this paper finds that as one rigid moral code can be replaced with another, as in the case of the Aztecs, ethics cannot be a permanent construct, and that a rigid moral code does not …show more content…
Such a moral code would only be applicable to the followers of that religion. If another religion is forced on a population, their moral codes will have to change with it. For example, the Aztecs were famous for many things, but possibly most famous for their practice of human sacrifice. This was a religious practice that they believed pleased their gods and ensured a good harvest (Kramer, 2013). To the Aztecs, this was therefore an ethical act as it ensured the survival of their society. However, after the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire, many Aztecs converted to Christianity, abandoning their old religion and beliefs. Human sacrifice therefore became an unethical act. Those who converted to Christianity had to review their moral codes and their ideas of right and wrong because one rigid moral code had been replaced with another. If it is possible to do this, then surely ethics cannot be a permanent construct and so flexibility is …show more content…
For example, at the end of World War II, U.S. President Harry Truman was faced with the difficult decision of either invading Japan, causing a huge loss of life, or dropping the atomic bomb on Japan, causing a smaller immediate loss of life and bringing the war to a speedy conclusion. Truman was forced to take the decision which was the least worst. Moral rigidity however, would not have allowed Truman to make this difficult decision as both choices seem to be unethical. In summary, this paper has shown firstly that people have the capacity to be both good and bad through the examples of Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, King Leopold II of Belgium and Pol Pot. Secondly, this paper has demonstrated the necessity of adopting a flexible moral code as rigid moral codes cannot be followed indefinitely, as in the case of the Aztecs, and also we all at some point have to choose between two or more unethical acts, as in the case of Harry Truman, which a rigid moral code would not allow us to
In the article “God and Morality” by Caroline Wilkerson, Wilkerson questions whether or not one’s ethics are independent of religion, pondering if it is just a man man-made concept focused on goals like survival and reproduction. Wilkerson attempts to explain that the moral codes that a particular religious god encourages others to follow may be in fact “arbitrary” based on her reading of Plato’s dialog Euthyphro. In the end, she concludes by saying that even though a god’s moral code may be “erratic,” it is better to follow their moral code rather than following what society considers to be
Religion in the Aztec Empire: The Aztecs had a polytheistic religion with the worship of a pantheon of all powerful gods. The religion they followed permeated into every aspect of their lives. Everyone from the lowest peasants and commoners to the most royal of emperors observed this religion very seriously. Priests presided over rituals and sacrifices, and were supposed to be celibate and refrain from alcohol. It had a large and ever increasing pantheon.
Principle beliefs Aztec is a polytheistic religion that believed that four universes named ‘suns’ that existed before their universe. Each of the worlds were destroyed and all humans had been wiped out every time. Aztecs believed they were people of the sun and that just like the sun they needed to be fed. Therefore the only way of ensuring the sun would rise and have enough energy to bear crops is through offerings (mainly human sacrifice).
Sam : As with any culture, the Aztecs had many games and sports. Being a deeply religious people, their games would often have a religious significance. Sometimes they would be based on the people 's religious beliefs, other times the game would actually be a part of their religious ritual. Teaghan : There were games for children, adults, nobles, and commoners.
As a company, or an organization, ages the ethical standpoint of that enterprise can move and adjust to the surrounding climate. Ethics can even be challenged or vastly changed simply by altering the viewpoint of a problem slightly, even when the final outcome is the same. The greatest example of this challenging of ethical standpoints of a person, with only a small altering of viewpoints, can be seen in the “Trolley Problem” first outlined by philosopher Philippa Foot. In Foot’s original ethical problem a driver of a runaway tram must make a choice, stay on route and kill five workmen ahead of him or steer the tram onto another spur of track killing only one man.
The Aztecs were a fearsome collection of people. From complex waterways well beyond their time, to their barbaric sacrificial rituals, the Aztecs were from a unique time period. The conglomeration of the sacrifices and rituals gave rise to the need of a provider of human sacrifices, and thus began the elite society of ancient warriors. Revered highly by all, these warriors were immortalized through the usage of sculptures, paintings, clothing and more.
Religion can be very powerful and can influence people to behave in certain ways. This is especially true when referring to the Aztecs. They took their religion and culture very seriously which is why is the main reason they were so focused on human sacrifice and bloodletting. It begins with Aztec creation myths as they are the foundation to the Aztecs sacrificing themselves for the gods. “They jumped into the sacrificial fire and became the sun and the moon.”
The Aztecs had a very interesting religion. One reason I thought that their religion was interesting was because they have a specific “god” for each element in nature. For example, they had a god for the sun but a different god for water. Each element of nature had its own separate god. The Aztecs also gave sacrifices to their gods.
Werner’s story taught us there will always be evil, but as long as there is courage and community, good will prevail. By making the choices that align with our morals, by utilizing our free will, we can ensure the outcome. Werner asks himself and the reader, “Is it right to do something only because everyone else is doing it?” (Doerr 246). Werner’s story tells us the correct answer is no.
In “The Perils of Obedience”, Stanley Milgram describes the situation of obedience to the authority through the series of experiments of testing people and determine if they submit themselves to the authority’s orders or not. Milgram believes that obedience in many people come from their training, attitude and ethical background. This dilemma is inherited in human beings from the beginning of human race e.g. the story of Abraham, Plato’s argument. According to some conservative philosophers, society’s base or strength is being threatened by disobedience. On the other hand, Humanists think that individual’s conscience is very important for society.
Although behavior is portrayed differently depending on the situation one is found in, it is possible to be self-aware and make that a core value that is being exercised at all times so that principles are not wavered as easily. Now that there have been several experiments demonstrating the power of situation and circumstances, it would be easy to accept and think of one as powerless against life because one never knows what circumstances life will bring to them and being a good/moral person appears to be situational. But, what if these experiments could serve a greater purpose? Haney proposes that he, when going into actual prisons, makes sure that he is aware that the things that happen in prison are not normal and not something to be okay
Introduction Can a man maintain his moral codes whilst living in an immoral world? John Proctor from the play ‘The Crucible’ was able to maintain his moral codes by attempting to save his wife from being hanged and he died a respected and remembered hero of Salem. Born in 1912 Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish man trying to live up to his parents name, became the most influential person in saving Jews from Hitler in WW2. He maintained his moral codes while living through a war and was respected by the Jewish community. Both of these people were very influential to the people that they lived among, inspiring people to reach their full potential and influence the world themselves.
The Aztecs held multiple ceremonies and festivals to honor their gods. Their most important gods were Tlaloc, the rain god, Quetzalcoatl, the serpent god, and Huitzilopochtli the god of sun and war. Since the Aztecs believed in reincarnation, they held elaborate ceremonies for the dead. They also held ceremonies at the end of one age in history. They divided history into ages of fifty-two
Was justice in Aztec society fair? Aztec society had a sophisticated code law which included crime and punishments. Civilians who were guilty of adultery, stealing someone’s crops, embezzlement, public drunkness and other upmost offences were punished via “the death sentence…or severe corporal punishment/mutilation ……” (Aztec History. 2013).
An important role is carried out by the criminal justice system in a democratic society. My philosophy and approach for balancing individual rights and public protection is that law enforcement authorities should restrict citizens’ liberties through force to compel obedience of law if those liberties cause harm to the society. Authorities maintain law and order by restricting freedoms of the citizens through force to constrain them to obey the law penalizing those who disobey the law. However, the citizens must be free to exercise the freedoms granted and guaranteed by the Constitution. Therefore, the law must give way to reasonable exercise of civil liberties when those freedoms do not cause harm to others.