Ethics and values are the words often used in studies of Philosophy. Ethics is to be understood as an attempt to identify universal principles of ideal morality. It is just like a social contract framed with consensus of people during a very long time span and continuing to next generations. These established ethics are expected to be followed by individuals as code of conduct. Human behavior is judged as good or bad on its ethical standardization.
Ethics has to do with behavior and values have to do with beliefs. Ethics are public opinions and values are personal beliefs. Values are the cause and ethics are the effect. As the values, so the ethics are. Ethics and values are complimentary to each other. Values vary at different times, places, environment and change in human thinking. Values grow in individuals and expand through families, communities, societies and subjects of nations; and in long run, they are converted to the doctrines of ethics as well as elements of culture and civilization of the world.
A true problem in life is to perceive and comprehend the facts of beliefs or ideals as they really are. Ethics and values are abstract in form but fundamental determinants of human behavior. It is expected that one should try to seek realities in their true forms. In way of knowing truths, some obstacles are there. They are baseless and endless Imaginations, fabricated predictions, false likings and dis-likings, understanding religious ethics in own interpretation suiting to satisfy worldly desires and intellectual arguments favoring to the thoughts of mind only by ignoring the voice of the inner being.
The decline of morality is a growing problem throughout the world. The world we live on is changing and we live in are changing too. If we exercise our self-scrutiny, we will find that we are proving ourselves smart enough to deceive our inner soul with misinterpretation of our ethics and values. In present times, some so called intellectuals consider themselves reformers and they are very active to alter the definitions of morality under one or the other pretext or hypothesis.
Let us take stock of some false interpretations perverting our culture and civilization. Low desires and egocentric wishes are responsible for advocacy in favor of such shameful and fearless wrongdoings. It is the tragedy of the people of modern world that ugly deeds are fair-seeming to them. Liberty is the divine right to mankind; but, with its misuse, the same liberty is deformed in attitude of unrestricted freedom. Such licentious and uncontrolled freedom, practiced by majority of the people, spoils the culture and civilization of the world.
Modern world has adopted overturned definitions of merits of civilization. Half or full nakedness and indecency of women is admired and considered as status symbol. Luxury competitions are valued high in the meaning of personality development. Corruptions and bribes are labeled as gifts which ruin the world economy. Murder, crime and destruction are evaluated as an evidence of power. Snatching away or destroying the properties of rightful owners is given a new name of re-establishment of wealth. Anti-ethical deeds are respected as people’s demand. Passing some unfair resolutions by the governments are considered to be honoring the human rights. Addictions, lusts, disgraces and indecencies are counted as a kind of liberty. Treachery, dishonesty and gaining wealth wrongly are appreciated as talent and competency.
Presently, the entire world is worrying about world-spread recession and economical crisis, but the fact is that the world is now-a-days facing unbearable moral crisis and no any remedial packages (precautions) are being announced from anywhere. Rotten culture is being popularized at the speed of light in the every corner of the world with the means of modern technologies. Urgency of finding out a cure of unfair ethical and moral problems in various societies of the world is needed and we cannot keep our ears deaf and eyes veiled any more. Declined morality is the root cause of rising crime rate, drug usage and irresponsible sexuality.
Shortly speaking, above mentioned evil deeds and shocking behaviors seem to be fair to the people. They do not feel any shame but take proud of their actions though they are damaging our moral disciplines. Spread of pornography, free-sex, same sex (gay or lesbian) marriages and adultery through movies, magazines and internet has increased the ratio of teenage pregnancy, pre-martial sex, honor killing, abortion, unsteady and/or broken marriages, divorce, suicide etcetera.
Summing up, we have to imagine how the future and feature of the world would be if we continue to neglect the decline of ethics and values still more. Just to get rid of disturbed social system resulted from misinterpretation of creedal and ethical principles, we will have to reform ourselves first and then keep our watchful eyes towards growing children in order to get them acquainted with standard ethics and good moral character.
– Valibhai Musa
