Has Morality Declined in the US Over the Past 30 Years Yes or No?

[MattTheSkywalker]

Human nature does not change, but ideologies do.

To look at today's society and that of the 40's and 50's and say that they are the same is ludicrous. The difference between the two eras is ideology.

During the 40's and 50's there was a structure that people adhered to, the structure of their beliefs, mainly religious tenets, but a structure no less. This structure did not prevent crimes or vulgarities or family discourse from happening; what it did was state that these actions were not acceptable and thus not condoned. The structure was not perfect, because it was based on religious ideology and not reason, but it functioned.

If you are talking about a religious ideology that demanded adherence to things such as avoiding a list of banned books, not questioning things, then yes, there was an ideology. An ideology of fealty to existing structures. It might have worked well for societal function, but then again, so does martial law.

Today's society has no structure. As evidenced in earlier posts, the mind-set of the populace is that there is no guiding principles in life, each person is his own moral agent in a world with no moralities, save what he dreams up at the moment.

Perhaps you're casting the net too wide, nevertheless I agree with much of this statement. Consequences of this behavior aer apprent for people who engage in it. Desire no substance, and you shall have no substance.

Every obscenity is acceptable and applauded as empowering and liberating. Children are taught to be adults, with no guidance between youth and adulthood, simply the pipe-dream of "experiencing life".

Desire no substance and you'll have no substance. WOuld you teach your children this way?

The arts and media exhalt the mediocre and vulgar as enlightening.

These behaviors are as old as time itself. where do you think the media gets it from?

Schools remove standards and expectations and promote tolerance and sensitivity instead, reducing all to sensitive imbecile level.

True. The inadequacy of schools is becoming apparent. Interestingly, many of today's teachers want little to do with teachers' unions, which is probably at the core of the school failures.

Every generation tries to correct the faults of its predecessors, but generations can and do, as evidenced by the Dark Ages, fall into the realm of irrationality and anti-intellectualism. We are in a new Dark Age.

Perhaps evidence of a dangerous gap between haves and have-nots?

 

[musclebrains]

From Confederacy of Dunces:

"A green hunting cap squeezed the top of the fleshy balloon of a head. The green earflaps, full of large ears and uncut hair and the fine bristles that grew in the ears themselves, stuck out on either side like turn signals indicating two directions at once. Full, pursed lips protruded beneath the bushy black mustache and, at their corners, sank into little folds filled with disapproval and potato chip crumbs. In the shadow under the green visor of the cap Ignatius J. Reilly's supercilious blue and yellow eyes looked down upon the other people waiting under the clock at the D. H. Holmes department store, studying the crowd of people for signs of bad taste in dress. Several of the outfits, Ignatius noticed, were new enough and expensive enough to be properly considered offenses against taste and decency. Possession of anything new or expensive only reflected a person's lack of theology and geometry; it could even cast doubts upon one's soul. "

 

[eurorides]

its due to the tolerance and pc we are all supposto have.

 

[atlantabiolab]

If you are talking about a religious ideology that demanded adherence to things such as avoiding a list of banned books, not questioning things, then yes, there was an ideology. An ideology of fealty to existing structures. It might have worked well for societal function, but then again, so does martial law.

Yes, that is the structure I am alluding to. The idea is not that it was perfect or most conducive to the liberty of all, but that it gave the populace a template to work with. What has society substituted for the "template" of the past? The concept that there is no "template", that all actions are relative and that nothing is real. We have substituted a broken system with no system.

Because an era has its faults does not mean that it is the lowest level of existence, things can always get worse.

Perhaps you're casting the net too wide, nevertheless I agree with much of this statement. Consequences of this behavior aer apprent for people who engage in it. Desire no substance, and you shall have no substance.

Desire no substance and you'll have no substance. WOuld you teach your children this way?

While I do not raise my children in this manner, millions do. And since "no man is an island" my children have to decide between the principles of their up-bringing vs. the pressures of the world.

These behaviors are as old as time itself. where do you think the media gets it from?

Of course they have always existed, the issue is that they are promoted and condoned.

True. The inadequacy of schools is becoming apparent. Interestingly, many of today's teachers want little to do with teachers' unions, which is probably at the core of the school failures.

Perhaps evidence of a dangerous gap between haves and have-nots?

And how is this problem remedied? How is egalitarianism expressed without attacking the have's? How do we change reality to make some have what they did not earn? We have already implemented social programs which have benefited millions, but their demands grow continuously.

 

[Testosterone boy]

We need to get rid of the scammers. F**king virus.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Yes, that is the structure I am alluding to. The idea is not that it was perfect or most conducive to the liberty of all, but that it gave the populace a template to work with. What has society substituted for the "template" of the past? The concept that there is no "template", that all actions are relative and that nothing is real. We have substituted a broken system with no system.

Because an era has its faults does not mean that it is the lowest level of existence, things can always get worse.

But that era was a system under which they were not allowed to get better. repression or suppression = bad. Always.

While I do not raise my children in this manner, millions do. And since "no man is an island" my children have to decide between the principles of their up-bringing vs. the pressures of the world.

teach them what you feel is right. if they are as principled as you, they'll be OK even in this shitty world.

Of course they have always existed, the issue is that they are promoted and condoned.

Backlash against repression. This is cyclical and a new ideology will emerge, less flawed thsi time. Always has.

And how is this problem remedied? How is egalitarianism expressed without attacking the have's? How do we change reality to make some have what they did not earn? We have already implemented social programs which have benefited millions, but their demands grow continuously.

I don't for a second condone redistribution. In fact I abhor it. Free markets create opportunity, I think that's where we need to go.

 

[Krazykat]

Every generation believes that subsequent generations are `bad`, even in feudal Britain there were reports of something like `those terrible youth`. It always happens, when in reality things change for sure, but not really for the worse.

Whether there is something truly different about the last 30 years, and 30 years before that. I doubt it. What I can say for a given is that racism and sexism is significantly less than it was 30 years ago. So `morality` there has improved.

 

[Testosterone boy]

Most people didn't lock their doors in the 60's.

Now they have double dead bolts, security systems, Glocks with laser sights and a vault.

 

[Tiervexx]

Re: Re: Re: Has Morality Declined in the US Over the Past 30 Years Yes or No?

Please think past your nose.

First, morality does not equal THEOLOGY. So arguing that morals are the construct of religions is incorrect. Aristotle was not a Christian, nor religious, and wrote amazing works on morality, ethics, etc. Classical Philosophy dealt with many aspects of morality and ethics, with the concept that human reason can and does discern the moral laws of nature, the laws of reality.

The Greeks believed in morality but it was very different from many things that Christians teach. For one they believed that there was nothing at all wrong with homosexuality LOL.

The truth is that morality is an abstract idea. Morality exists in your mind. The only way they can have any substance to them is if you make them into a law, but even that has no meaning if it is not enforced.

If no one punishes you for your actions and if the people you care about don’t have a problem with it, it can’t be wrong, and that is as far as morality can ever go.

 

[hellorhih2o]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Has Morality Declined in the US Over the Past 30 Years Yes or No?

The Greeks believed in morality but it was very different from many things that Christians teach. For one they believed that there was nothing at all wrong with homosexuality LOL.

The truth is that morality is an abstract idea. Morality exists in your mind. The only way they can have any substance to them is if you make them into a law, but even that has no meaning if it is not enforced.

If no one punishes you for your actions and if the people you care about don’t have a problem with it, it can’t be wrong, and that is as far as morality can ever go.

Not only does morality only exist in your mind, but at the end of the day, morality is also something each individual has the right to define as he or she wishes and there is NO universal definition of morality. Period.