Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
“Moral values reflect the mores of a society, such as goodness, fairness, truth etc. as in the past. Can we apply the values of the past, which no longer govern our modern society, to castigate the forward looking people of our society?”
When we mention the word ‘moral’, the ideas of goodness, honesty, fairness and righteousness, well up in our mind. These were the ideals which moved our past generations. But for the great men of today, these words are like moral tortures. Can we call their behaviour immoral if they are just following the neo-morality of our times which has come to stay in society?
Let us go back a bit to the root of the word ‘moral’. It has a historical connection with ‘mores’. We get moral from the Latin word ‘moralis’ which is drawn from ‘mos’ meaning ‘custom’ or ‘habit’. The derivation of ‘moral’ from ‘mores’ shows that moral values are shaped by cultural and social norms of a society. Historically, many societies have valued honesty, kindness and fairness which were reflected in their value system. As mores evolve over time, it is natural the concept of moral values will also change.
Presently, it is thought that morality stands for goodness, fairness, honesty, and a value based living style. In this way, immoral constitutes anything that violates the moral code of a society, the ‘mores’ which form the ‘custom’ base of a social set up. The society in which we are living, it is very difficult to say it is based on old moral principles. When we indict this society, we are using the moral yardstick which belongs to the social mores of times which have gone by.
What are the ‘mores’ of this society? What are its ‘customs’ and what the ‘habits of the people? In other words, what type of moral culture we have created that sustains our society? If we cast a neutral look, we will be shocked to discover that ‘good’, ‘fairness’, ‘honesty’ are absconding. In their place, the ‘mores’ of our society include ‘dishonesty’ ‘unfair behaviour’ and ‘corruption’. If we go by the formation of the word ‘moral’, then ‘these’ are the mores from which we can deduce moral values of these times.
It is a painful revelation that according to this phenomena, corruption, unfairness, dishonesty, ‘tam sam dand bhed’ are the values which create the moral stratosphere of our society. Just as in the past, the law would take care of the people who did not believe in truth and honesty, they were put behind the bars; applying the same yardstick, people who violate the cannons of the post-modern society, those who do not believe in hatred, dishonesty, untruth, falsehood, lies, and unfair conduct, – are ‘dangeorus’ elements, not fit to live in this society, because they do not accept and honour its moral values. So, law will take care of such people, even if they are righteous, and their conduct is good.
The basics of good conduct in this evolved society are: you should have a compatible mind set, compromising nature, adjustable attitude, fear God and visit shrines ostensibly, but go for evil whenever it helps you. There is nothing bad if you get your work done with the help of money. If you grab the wealth of another person, nobody can drag you to a court of law, because it is the morally accepted value of the society in which the apex people believe and practise.
Religion has a great role to play in the evolved set up. It blesses the people who make great offerings. From where the money comes, it is none of their business. Those who stick their head out in the name of honesty, truth and goodness, they stand to lose it. It should not be forgotten that a religion flourishes on the strength of state power. When state power is involved, every thing is passe.
In a nutshell, the truthful, fair and the honest of past times are ‘unsocial elements’ for the postmodern society who spread immortality. The moral values of the postmodern society stand for ‘tam sam dand bhed’. Man is larger than society, do whatever you can to accomulate wealth and enjoy it the way you like. It is a free society, where even religion and law have to lionize the style of living of the rich people and label it as morally upright. Only those films are hit which violate all sacred norms upheld by the bygone era.
While the front liners of the society believe in the neo-moralities, the poor masses are given the dose of ‘satay kathas’ from holy scriptures. There is a clash of two value systems in the name of morality. This is because major portions of society are kept confused in the old times, while the front-liners of modern society have accepted the neo-morality of the post-modern times.
