Does the Code of Morals in Society Create Order or Chaos - Research Paper Example

Chaos vs. Order in Society Does of morals in society create order or chaos? A moral or moral s is that guidance structure in a society, society meaning a group of people that live by it, the whole society finds it easy to associate and live by it especially in the jurisdiction of its social standards and behaviors that distinguish right from wrong or wrong from right depending on the context in which the notion is applied (Johnsson, 2008). An ancient Greek philosopher Socrates defines moral code as “how we ought to live”. From a grammatical approach it is understood as the set of standards, rules or laws that the society attaches itself to that is easily derived from the world that surrounds the societal environment and that affects majority of lives (Zaborowski, 2010). Governments in manifestation of proper leadership have employed these moral codes to derive law and order that guide and harmonize the population towards a common rational understanding for instance democracy which is an end result. It is therefore vital to establish a connection or a distinction from a philosophical point of view as to whether moral codes advocate for chaos or order in society. Moral code derives its powers from Natural order in any given societal setting. Natural order is authority that is derived from a moral source which can also be termed as natural law because it stands for the close natural relations of human beings in the absence of legal law-divine law or positive law, of the land (Zaborowski, 2010). Moral code has its roots deeply embedded in the societal harmony context or subscription to the same ideologies that sort of creates a sense of morality to individuals. Natural order is harmony that is achieved by default because it is something that is inborn and individuals within a given societal setting fit in seamlessly as if with no effort at all because it a structure that they find themselves aligned with as they interact with the society and the world at large. At some point code of morals shape the natural law an example of parents instilling values in their children according to their beliefs of their definition of values and are morally right according to the parents. Order always champions chaos in a given societal setting. Chaos can hardly be avoided because it is linked to individuals’ self-interests other than for the good of the society (Zaborowski, 2010). This particular order that progresses eventually over chaos can be termed as spontaneous order. Spontaneous order is majorly found in social networks and creates social orders that counter self-inflicted chaos. The moral code that guides this process is based on the social structure other than the organizational structure which guidelines are fixed over a period of time. In economics, spontaneous orders encompasses the free market economy as an example process of evolution of this particular order. Murray Rothbard, a philosopher was out to prove spontaneous order to be an order that prefers mankind to be left alone other than being governed in decision making that relates to their environment that is bound by their societal boundaries. The philosopher proved that order precedes chaos and a moral code is an infrastructure that ensures chaos is noticed and dealt with order (Rothbard, 2009). Natural-rights libertarianism can never be avoided when talking about moral codes and natural order in society. It is also referred to as philosophical libertarianism because it is for the sole idea that all members of a given society possess moral rights that calls for individual sovereignty. The philosophical libertarianism denounces acts of fraud that violates individual rights. Moral code is sensed in this context because it advocates for the need of self-ownership in an important ethical position in society. Murray Rothbard ascertains “that if humans are not self-owners then someone else has a higher claim on an individual’s own life than the individual himself” (Rothbard, 2009). Moral code in an individual setting gives a sense of freedom to the individual to make a choice that is good himself while still maintaining harmony in the societal setting creating order. Philosopher Jonathan Wolff criticizes that it would be difficult for governments to ensure the sustainability of this concept in ensuring democratic order in the political context and thus it would instead result to chaos in the end (Niebuhr, 2013). In the ancient times, most of the rulers gained superiority and dominance over their society and community members because of their set of moral rules and regulations that they had set forth (Niebuhr, 2013). All the members in the society were expected to adhere to the rules regardless of their status in the society. This was very evident if there was a member of the royal family who flouted the rules. They were heavily disciplined and this was a way of making the society members understand that there was no form of favoritism that was going to be tolerated in these matters. The society is comprised of a majority of people cutting across various age groups. There were different codes of morals that were applied to various groups in the society that were different (Niebuhr, 2013). For instance, young boys and girls who were still under parental care had their own set of rules and regulations that governed how they related with the elders and among themselves. It also stipulated their roles in the society. Moreover, there was a different moral code for the young adults. This stage was particularly crucial since it marked a transition from childhood to adulthood. At this stage, the young adults faced various challenges that they ought to be a code of morals to guide and govern them however; this particular stage is also marked with people who are rebellious and more industrious (Johnson, 2008). This research agrees with the fact that the existence of moral values in a society is a way to restore order and sanctity in the society. It is through this that respect for people, life and the environment is derived from. For instance, one of the moral codes may attach a very important meaning to the environment. It may insist on the fact that the environment is God’s creation and that human beings are dependent on it for survival. They should therefore maintain what is contained in it like the water sources, the trees and the soils. From a moral perspective, this will enable the members of the society to be environmentally cautious not to alter anything that will disrupt the normal chain of existence and survival. This will ensure that the members of the community have found different ways to curb environmental pollution. Activities such as deforestation will be minimized and the environment will be preserved. The societal codes of morals are varied. There are those that govern the married couples. Married couples also suffered from various challenges such as divorce, wife battering, and infidelity. However, if there is a strict code of conduct that addresses these issues, then it will go a long way in ensuring that married couples stay in harmony and the family and marriage institution is maintained (Fabricand, 2009). Children who would have rather suffered as a result of the divorce of their parents will enjoy the paternal love and experience the proper rites of passage until they are fully grown and are out of the whims of their parents. The researcher of this document therefore agrees with the statement that the existence of morals in the society will create order. Order will come in different forms but the whole society will be united in love and respect based on the moral codes that exist. It therefore becomes very important for various people ion the society, for instance, parents and other people of higher ranks in the society to aid in implementation of these moral codes so that their advantages can be vivid rather than being left to decay. Plato, Socrates and Aristotle who were Greek philosophers made their contributions in the third and the fourth centuries. They had their own opinions with regards to morals and ethics in the society. They believed that the society came up with various codes of ethics and morals that favored them at that time and they were subject to change with regards to passage of time. The Christian moral philosophy was one that was highly adopted and it maintained order in the society. References Fabricand, B. P. (2009). American History Through the Eyes of Modern Chaos Theory. New York: Lulu.com. Johnson, D. P. (2008). Contemporary Sociological Theory: An Integrated Multi-Level Approach. New York: Springer. Niebuhr, R. (2013). Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics. New York: Westminster John Knox Press. Rothbard, M. N. (2009). Rothbard vs. the Philosophers. Auburn: Ludwig von Mises Institute. Zaborowski, H. (2010). Natural Moral Law in Contemporary Society. New York: CUA Press. Read More