Morality has become a complicated issue in the multi-cultural world we live today. Let’s explore what morality is and how it affects our behavior, our conscience, our society, and our ultimate society.
Firstly, moral values are the standards of good and evil, right or wrong, which govern an individual’s behavior and choices. They are the rules and guidelines, the custom, which an individual or a group has about what is right and what is wrong, good and evil and morality speaks of a system of behavior in regards to standards of right or wrong behavior.
Moral values include some important aspects like:
1. Moral standards, with regard to behavior.
2. Moral responsibility, referring to our conscience and
3. Moral identity or one who is capable of right or wrong action.
Secondly, if you look in to the oxford dictionary, civilization is defined as an advanced stage or system of human social development. And to civilize means to be polite and good-mannered. But in the actual sense, civilization is not only a development of human being socially. According to the ‘Theory of Evolution’, Charles Darwin says “Survival of the fittest”, referring that the human being is just a physiological being. But during the same period another evolutionary biologist Thomas Huxley redefines the theory of evolution by referring human being as physiological, psychological, social and spiritual being. He says that it’s not just the survival of the fittest but to make others to be fit.
When a psychological or internal aspect is concerned, we should study it at micro level; I mean we should look from the point of an individual. We have to analyze how morality is interconnected with the civilization, in fact how these two plays a role in nation building. An ancient classical Tamilian poet said, “When there is a righteousness in the heart, then there is a beauty in the character, when there is a beauty in the character, then there is a harmony in the home. When there is a harmony in the home, then there is an order in the nation and when there is an order in the nation, then there is peace in the world.” Look at him, how he has connected an individual’s character to nation building!
Development of good personality in every human being is very essential in case of nation building. That’s why; Swami Vivekananda emphasized a man making education by which we can be a good citizen for our national development. ‘Man making means a harmonious development of the body, mind and soul’. He defines education as “a means and process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one’s own feet’. He says “education without character is like a flower without fragrance”.
Vivekananda emphasized three things that are necessary to make every man and every country great.
• Conviction of the powers of goodness.
• Absence of jealousy and suspicion.
• Helping all who are trying to be and do well.
Morality describes the principles that govern our behavior. Without these principles in place, societies cannot survive for long. In today’s world, morality is frequently thought as belonging to a particular religious point of view, but by definition, we see that this is not the case. There are clear clues shows that morality declined before the nation’s collapse. For others though, we have sufficient documentation to demonstrate that the religion and moral values are required not only for the success of the civilization but for its very survival.
Mankind is passing through crisis. The tremendous emphasis on the scientific and mechanical ways of life is fast reducing man to the status of a machine. Moral and religious values are being undermined. The fundamental principles of civilization are being ignored. Recently our human civilization is passing through a dangerous situation. If we observe the present situation of our society sincerely, we can see that very dangerous anti-social activities, immoral activities are happening here and there. Not only this, but also a bad effect or impressions of these activities have come into the system of education at school, college and university level. Consequently, sometimes it is found that they have forgotten to respect their teachers!
We want a system; we want the education though which moral values can be developed among the youth so that they conduct their life morally. They can decide what is right or what is wrong; what is good or evil; what is justice or injustice. The character of any man is but the aggregate of his tendencies, the sum total of the bent of his mind. Every work that we do, every moment of the body, every thought that we think, bears an impression on the mind. What we are every moment is determined by the sum total of these impressions on the mind. Trying to give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work united for others. Purity, patience and perseverance overcome all obstacles.
Firstly, moral values are the standards of good and evil, right or wrong, which govern an individual’s behavior and choices. They are the rules and guidelines, the custom, which an individual or a group has about what is right and what is wrong, good and evil and morality speaks of a system of behavior in regards to standards of right or wrong behavior.
Moral values include some important aspects like:
1. Moral standards, with regard to behavior.
2. Moral responsibility, referring to our conscience and
3. Moral identity or one who is capable of right or wrong action.
Secondly, if you look in to the oxford dictionary, civilization is defined as an advanced stage or system of human social development. And to civilize means to be polite and good-mannered. But in the actual sense, civilization is not only a development of human being socially. According to the ‘Theory of Evolution’, Charles Darwin says “Survival of the fittest”, referring that the human being is just a physiological being. But during the same period another evolutionary biologist Thomas Huxley redefines the theory of evolution by referring human being as physiological, psychological, social and spiritual being. He says that it’s not just the survival of the fittest but to make others to be fit.
When a psychological or internal aspect is concerned, we should study it at micro level; I mean we should look from the point of an individual. We have to analyze how morality is interconnected with the civilization, in fact how these two plays a role in nation building. An ancient classical Tamilian poet said, “When there is a righteousness in the heart, then there is a beauty in the character, when there is a beauty in the character, then there is a harmony in the home. When there is a harmony in the home, then there is an order in the nation and when there is an order in the nation, then there is peace in the world.” Look at him, how he has connected an individual’s character to nation building!
Development of good personality in every human being is very essential in case of nation building. That’s why; Swami Vivekananda emphasized a man making education by which we can be a good citizen for our national development. ‘Man making means a harmonious development of the body, mind and soul’. He defines education as “a means and process by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, and intellect is sharpened, as a result of which one can stand on one’s own feet’. He says “education without character is like a flower without fragrance”.
Vivekananda emphasized three things that are necessary to make every man and every country great.
• Conviction of the powers of goodness.
• Absence of jealousy and suspicion.
• Helping all who are trying to be and do well.
Morality describes the principles that govern our behavior. Without these principles in place, societies cannot survive for long. In today’s world, morality is frequently thought as belonging to a particular religious point of view, but by definition, we see that this is not the case. There are clear clues shows that morality declined before the nation’s collapse. For others though, we have sufficient documentation to demonstrate that the religion and moral values are required not only for the success of the civilization but for its very survival.
Mankind is passing through crisis. The tremendous emphasis on the scientific and mechanical ways of life is fast reducing man to the status of a machine. Moral and religious values are being undermined. The fundamental principles of civilization are being ignored. Recently our human civilization is passing through a dangerous situation. If we observe the present situation of our society sincerely, we can see that very dangerous anti-social activities, immoral activities are happening here and there. Not only this, but also a bad effect or impressions of these activities have come into the system of education at school, college and university level. Consequently, sometimes it is found that they have forgotten to respect their teachers!
We want a system; we want the education though which moral values can be developed among the youth so that they conduct their life morally. They can decide what is right or what is wrong; what is good or evil; what is justice or injustice. The character of any man is but the aggregate of his tendencies, the sum total of the bent of his mind. Every work that we do, every moment of the body, every thought that we think, bears an impression on the mind. What we are every moment is determined by the sum total of these impressions on the mind. Trying to give up jealousy and conceit and learn to work united for others. Purity, patience and perseverance overcome all obstacles.
