Morality: Natural Law and Morality of Substance Use
Morality is defined as principles concerning the difference of right and wrong or what is good and bad in behavior. Those exact principles have been defined a million times in a million ways, but most are inherently wrong because they make the mistake of holding homo sapiens as a consciousness that is above that of natural order, which I'm afraid is wrong. There is no sound evidence on which to base that argument, so I'm going to write the rest of this defining morals and moral principles as is found in nature:
Morally Good:
- Benefits the existence of the individual
- Benefits the species or collective as a whole.
- Does not negatively effect surrounding eco-systems beyond what is needed for survival.
That is morality based on the most natural assumption possible. That humans are just another sentient creature who exists equally with others on an overall conjoined ecosystem that is the planet. Most moral standards are useless mainly because they are based off of human traits and human created systems, namely through religion or the aristocracy.
It was to this moral standard that I began to apply substance use, be it in whatever form. Taking alcoholism or marijuana usage in moderation was the first test. In base terms the existence of the individual is most commonly enhanced by these substance when the consumption is agreed to by that individual. Overall health effects disregarded, being that very little negative consequence comes from light substance use. So it meets the first of the criteria for being a morally good action. The second introduces the grey area. Is substance use beneficial to the collective as a whole. Well that is hard to gauge, in fact the whole decision rests on the actions the subject in question pursues. A substance does not make you act in a morally good or bad way, it is merely a conduit through which your actions may be altered. This then leads to the question of whether or not amoral actions can exist, it only becomes morally wrong once human law is applied to them which is a system of control and never a guaranteed moral standard.
This raises more questions regarding the existence of amoral actions, how existence within man made law systems effects the the true morality of actions
...hazy thoughts drifting in and out.
Morally Good:
- Benefits the existence of the individual
- Benefits the species or collective as a whole.
- Does not negatively effect surrounding eco-systems beyond what is needed for survival.
That is morality based on the most natural assumption possible. That humans are just another sentient creature who exists equally with others on an overall conjoined ecosystem that is the planet. Most moral standards are useless mainly because they are based off of human traits and human created systems, namely through religion or the aristocracy.
It was to this moral standard that I began to apply substance use, be it in whatever form. Taking alcoholism or marijuana usage in moderation was the first test. In base terms the existence of the individual is most commonly enhanced by these substance when the consumption is agreed to by that individual. Overall health effects disregarded, being that very little negative consequence comes from light substance use. So it meets the first of the criteria for being a morally good action. The second introduces the grey area. Is substance use beneficial to the collective as a whole. Well that is hard to gauge, in fact the whole decision rests on the actions the subject in question pursues. A substance does not make you act in a morally good or bad way, it is merely a conduit through which your actions may be altered. This then leads to the question of whether or not amoral actions can exist, it only becomes morally wrong once human law is applied to them which is a system of control and never a guaranteed moral standard.
This raises more questions regarding the existence of amoral actions, how existence within man made law systems effects the the true morality of actions
...hazy thoughts drifting in and out.