Moral Standards and Non Moral Standards (Difference and Characteristics)

Let us differentiate moral standards and non moral standards.

What is non-moral standards? And what is the difference between moral standards and non moral standards? To begin with, what is morality? And what are the features of moral rules or standards?

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Moral standards pertain to the rules people have about the kinds of actions they believe are morally right and wrong, as well as the values they place on the kinds of objects they believe are morally good and morally bad.

Non-moral standards, on the other hand, are the rules that are unrelated to moral or ethical considerations. Either these standards are not necessarily linked to morality or by nature lack ethical sense.

Moral standards are also referred to as moral values and moral principles. On the other hand, usual examples of non-moral standards include rules of etiquette, fashion standards, rules in games, and various house rules.

Ethicists believe that technically speaking, religious rules, some traditions, and legal statutes (e.g. laws and ordinances) are non-moral principles.

Nonetheless, they can be considered as moral standards too as they can be ethically relevant, depending on some factors and contexts.

Filipino Philosophy professor and textbook author Jensen DG. Mañebog mentions six (6) characteristics of moral standards that further differentiate them from non-moral standards.

So moral standards can be distinguished from non-moral standards using the following characteristics he discusses in his lectures:

Moral standards are not (merely) established by authority figures.

Moral standards are not mere invention even of authoritative bodies or persons such as nations’ legislative bodies. Rather, the moral standards or values ought to be considered in the process of making laws.

Hence, in principle, moral standards cannot be changed nor nullified by the decisions of particular authoritative body.

One thing about these standards, nonetheless, is that its validity lies on the soundness or adequacy of the reasons that are considered to support and justify them. (Related: Reason and Impartiality in Morality: A Slideshow presentation)

Moral standards have the trait of universalizability.

Simply put, it means that everyone should live up to moral standards. To be more accurate, however, it entails that moral principles must apply to all who are in the relevantly similar situation.

If one judges that act A is morally right for a certain person P, then it is morally right for anybody relevantly similar to P.

This characteristic is exemplified in the Gold Rule, “Do unto others what you would them do unto you (if you were in their shoes)” and in the formal Principle of Justice, which states that:

“It cannot be right for A to treat B in a manner in which it would be wrong for B to treat A, merely on the ground that they are two different individuals, and without there being any difference  between the natures or circumstances of the two which can be stated as a reasonable ground for difference of treatment.”

Universalizability is an extension of the principle of consistency, that is, one ought to be consistent about one’s value judgments.

Moral standards are based on impartial considerations.

Moral standard does not evaluate standards on the basis of the interests of a certain person or group, but one that goes beyond personal interests to a universal standpoint in which each person’s interests are impartially counted as equal.

Impartiality is usually depicted as being free of bias or prejudice. Impartiality in morality requires that we give equal and/or adequate consideration to the interests of all concerned parties.

Moral standards are associated with special emotions and vocabulary.

Prescriptivity indicates the practical or action-guiding nature of moral standards. These moral standards are generally put forth as injunction or imperatives (such as, ‘Do not kill,’ ‘Do no unnecessary harm,’ and ‘Love your neighbor’).

Moral principles are proposed for use, to advise, and to influence one’s actions. Retroactively, this feature of moral principles is used to evaluate one’s behavior, to assign praise and blame, and to produce feelings of satisfaction or of guilt.

If a person violates a moral standard by telling a lie even to fulfill a special purpose, it is not surprising if he/she starts feeling guilty or being ashamed of his behavior afterwards.

Notice that on the contrary, no much guilt is felt if one goes against the current fashion trend (e.g. refusing to wear tattered jeans). Indeed, Moral standards are associated with special emotions … continue reading

For other characteristics of moral standards that differentiate them from non-moral standards, read: Moral Standards vs. Non-Moral Standards

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Read: From Socrates to Mill: An Analysis of Prominent Ethical Theories 

Free Lectures for Ethics Subjects:

What is Moral Dilemma (And the Three Levels of Moral Dilemmas)

Related: Reasoning and Debate: A Handbook and a Textbook 

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Reasoning and Debate: A Handbook and a Textbook by Jensen DG. Mañebog

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