Justifying the variable values of our ethics

My Indian princess ...I'm going to be straight up with you. You do have some valuable points in this hub. Yes in places where prostitution is banned is a result of an ethical issue that corresponds to the ethic code of that particular society. However, if ethic is described as the rule or standards governing the conduct of individuals, than who set these rule of standards?

If individuals set these rule of standards then by definition rule of standards hold variable values which can be manipulated to comfort individuals.

This logic states that if individuals set those rules of standards, than what is ethically right to one group of individuals may be unethical to another, I agree. But is there a standard definition for morality?

Yes there is - because not all morality hold variable values, murder is an immoral act in all society except in cases of self defense but some Christians would argue otherwise. It is true that what’s immoral to me may be morally right to another. It’s the same principle I use to determine that perfection has variable values in the sense that it’s not consistent with all views.

However, I think we shouldn’t place judgment on others who committed an immoral act until we know exactly what that act is. Of - course the judgment we place on others is a reflection of our moral principles. Although our moral principles may not be consistent with all views, the truth holds some level of logic makes it valuable to us. But unfortunately, values are set by members of our society who are imperfect beings. Therefore, when we accept those values we are also accepting their imperfection.

Now, although some murders can be justified doesn’t make it right. Taking someone life if it’s not self defense is always wrong, even in some cases of war. It’s wrong under the humanitarian principle which is understood by us - killing another human being is wrong. Some acts that are considered immoral in some societies are not always true in all situations; it will depend on the value of the person judging it.

For example in cases of infidelity some would dispute that infidelity is wrong under all cases, where others would disagree. Infidelity is often characterized as a cheating husband regardless of the condition set forth by the couples. Those individuals who are outside the relationship sees it as cheating, meanwhile couples set rules in their relationships to balance their marriage.

Another example, is a fourteen years old girl in a village of Africa who gets her clitoris chap off because her parents think that would prevents her from having sex early. This condition is obviously morally wrong in our culture but to the Africans in that village the family did not do anything wrong.

In fact this action is viewed as a respectable act. It is because of these examples that as imperfect beings, we should not use our judgment to justify others who have committed an act that is not consistent with all views. Cultures are universal but there are not always unifiable, and for that, there will always be moral acts that are viewed as pervasive to other cultures.

Written by Marcus Oscarsson for Global Post which was published: September 19, 2009 09:09 ET - “The reasons given for female circumcision are traditional, cultural and religious? It is believed to encourage cleanliness, to control promiscuity, enhance the males’ sexual pleasure, preserve virginity and protect against unwanted pregnancies,” said Timnit Embaye of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kenya.

They exist what is described as immoral consistency where the action that is viewed as immoral is consistent with all views. As an example - raping a woman is morally wrong even in cases of war, so it doesn't matter whether it's in India, Iraq or Japan, no one can justified rape if the evidence are there to prove it. This moral construct is what IS described as immoral consistency where the act that is being judge cannot be proven right under no circumstances.

Perhaps my argument is not valid in the sense that someone can ask why should their actions be morally right? But anyone who poses that question would be addressing members of their society who have imposed these moral construct for them to follow. In which case the question "why" would be answered by having the disobedient exposed to some sort of punishment when those moral constructs are disobeyed. A counter argument may be available at this link "Kant and Kantians on “the Normative Question”

As far as prostitution in this society is concern, it is a matter of survival to some people. However, those who prostitute themselves, whether it's a man or a woman do it because they need the money to survive. Jacque Fresco stated: “We are all prostitutes of the institution we belong to”. If you think about it when you the employee market a product for your company what you are doing really is prostituting yourself for that company.

As Wikipedia described it the word "prostitute" is derived from a composition of two Latin words: (preposition) pro and (verb) statuere . A literal translation therefore would be: "to expose", "to place up front".

Now given that definition anyone with common sense will become aware that marketers, managers or supervisors are nothing more than a bunch of prostitutes. Realistically speaking their role as managers is to generate profit for the corporation by implementing new strategies to enhance the means of production. The supervisors on the other hand are there to supervise the foot prostitutes (the workers) to make sure that the strategies are being followed up. Please do not get offended by this word for it is just another deviation of the true meaning of the word.

Nonetheless, survival cannot be viewed as the only reason for all prostitutes. Some do see it as a better way to make a few bucks. This is why Uncle Sam wants his cut. Uncle is not against prostitution because some people see it as an immoral act; Uncle is against it because in the neighborhoods where it is practice citizens complain. And secondly, transactions of monies are passing hands and Uncle is not getting his cut, according to Uncle that's not right. Uncle is the biggest pimp of all pimps and therefore Uncle is going to come for his cut regardless of the pimp in charge.

If you ever wondered why can prostitution be legal in one state while being illegal in another, wondered no more? It's the same reason why Gay marriage can be legal in one state while being illegal in another. The people that comprised the society of the state where it is legal are adapt to a different moral code that gives value to gay marriage than those other societies where Gay marriage is disapproved.

If you really think about it, it’s individuals within society who gives value to certain moral construct. This is why we say if individuals set rule of standards, than by definition rule of standards hold variable values which can be manipulated to comfort individuals, evidently if this was not true than gay marriage would have been in uniform with all members of society.

However, is it morally wrong for someone to prostitute themselves? In my view not at all, it will all depends on the person and their circumstances. Would I want that for my daughter. NO,  not something that I would want for my daughter but as we know it is circumstances of life that brought about certain behavior.  We are not born with the same potential and we're are certainly not equal in all sense of life. 

 I disagree with Thomas Jefferson who borrowed the quote from the Italian Philip Mazzei who stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal,” I believe that we are born with certain rights as human beings, rights which most views as humanitarian rights but we're not born equal beings.

To say that we are born equal being is it to assert to the conclusion that our astrological chart is irrelevant to our personality. If time can be relevant to science so can it be for men. We are affected by time in different ways for the simple fact that we are born at different time. Now if you wish to verify this info further get the right calendar but I can’t tell you which one it is.

In addition to the previous discussion, our parents who raised us, their lack of opportunities, our surroundings and our environment dictates our future occurrences. If Barack Obama was not brought up by educated parents who were better off than most average parents, there is no way in hell he could have been president of the United State.

Our environment, the people we know create the opportunity that our path will fallow, the education is a leeway making the opportunity we get possible to follow through. As we should know not all of us can afford an education anymore. They use to say that the key to success is an education but if that key is not available to all how can it be the key to success, it becomes the key to some.

We want a leader that will fight for equal access to education so that equality can rise above the surface. That way you’ll have less educated poor out of work because regardless of their education they can’t work without that diploma.

However, they've been those who have managed to rise above their toxic soil. And they have done it by using an elevated thought which have allowed them to surpass their surroundings. Since our surroundings are not always rounded it is advisable to be left guided by our third eye the subconscious mind. If not we'll be caught in the same mental realm as some of those within our surroundings whom very often don’t have a farsighted mentality.

The wrong environment has turned a lot of good soul towards the wrong path. I am a testimony of that fact. Those who have pass through these periods often think how it could have been them until they realize that God had another purpose for them.  Although we seem to think that our purpose in life should bring us good fortune is not always the truth. Our purpose can be a step in stone for a greater cause.

In that respect those prostitutes who cater to sex for money were not all that fortunate, some were brought up without caring parents, some never made it to high school, they had no one in their lives to give them directions. Had they have that chance, no one knows what could have become of them?

Even people with greater potential need guidance, and since no one is born knowing it all everybody needs guidance in their lives. However, regardless of who is giving us guidance, we are guided by our environment first before we are guided by our love ones.