So... What About Moral Decision-Making?

Ever since I came to know one of my favorite philosophers, Friedrich Nietzsche, it has been exceedingly difficult for me to understand morality. When I was very young I decided that religion was not cutting it for me, yet I still had to figure out what was right and wrong. This took a lot of trial and error and a lot of reflection into myself. As I became older it became easier to discern, as I had learned what it felt like, according to my own soul, to make certain decisions and not others. In a way, I began to form my own Virtue Ethics based on a retrospective type of Ego-Based morality. It has turned out well enough I should say. There were definitely times, though, when I was in the same position as Goodwin in Source Code, and the Hebrew women of the bible, having to defy one type of authority for another – the rightful authority of my own choice. It is dangerous to build such a foundation for moral decision-making as it gives one ultimate freedom to act how they wish. Truly, in the end, such a process will get someone what he ultimately wishes, whether that be a beautiful community or time in jail.

My type of moral decision-making, though not religious, ultimately regards virtue. From a philosophical standpoint I wish to cultivate my rational soul – having all three parts in balance with one another so that I may continue to approach wisdom with utmost clarity. This is more difficult than one might think and what it requires most is the forming of good habits. I must consider ever opportunity in my life according to these virtues. For example, my mind works best in the early morning, so I decided to start waking up earlier, which requires going to bed earlier. When I know that I have something I would like to work on the next morning but I have been offered to go out with my friends I have to remind myself of who it is I would like to be. When I take a moment to reflect, it doesn’t take long for me to realize that I would much rather have some sleep and perhaps join them on the weekend. My virtues are based around what I love most, which is learning, so as I continue to form good habits it becomes easier for me to make decisions as I have a clear understanding of what I want and who I am.

I feel like this type of decision-making is easier when one has a goal, whether it is piety or simply doing well in school, and harder with a stern authority. I am my own authority and my own reference – any other type of reference would make me feel like I was being forced or that it wasn’t truly what I wanted to be doing, or who I wanted to be. In the case of the Apostle Paul, I feel like he had himself in comparison with quite a perfect and oppressive authority – that of the Christian god. To try to cultivate one-self in reference to such an idea would inevitably lead to internal torture and moral confusion.

 I guess it is quite lucky for my local community that I should have such harmless virtues. As I come to know myself more, I have to depend on others less, which make my moral compass ultimately aligned with my own virtuous soul.