My Decision as a Relativist

Prompt: Right or Wrong?


There is a very thin line when is comes to the rightness or wrongness of certain activities.

Think of your younger years when you went to the store with your parents. You saw something that you really wanted to have. You picked it up and took it with you. No harm, right? You were young. You probably didn't think it even mattered.

Now imagine yourself now, as an adult. Would you go to the store and take something that you wanted without paying for it? Not, unless your're a shoplifter. This is one example of how the rightness and wrongness of certain situations can be based upon different age groups.

Everyone knows that it is against the law to run red lights and stop signs. You really realize how wrong it is when you get tickets and have to pay fines. But what if your wife was having a baby? Or you were late for work and on probation for excessive tardiness? Think about policemen and firefighters. Do they stop? No. That is because what is right and wrong is also dependant on the severity of the situation at hand. Can it wait or is it an emergency?

I remember stories told to me by my grandmother about principals and morals of her time. I can honestly say that those same principals and morals have evolved over time. What was once considered immoral and unjust is now accepted by many people today. Examples of this would be gay marriages or interracial dating. There are still some who do not accept this kind of behavior. Church is one example. They tend to follow more strict moral guidelines than anyone else.

What is right or wrong is also based on the perception one has on the outside surroundings. How someone was raised also pays a significant role. People tend to live by the ways of their parents unless something drastically changes such as the development of psychological issues. We were all told by our parents to never steal, never to harm others, and to treat people the way you would like to be treated.

I consider myself to be a moral relativist. I consider all possible factors involved before I make a judgement on what I think is right or wrong.