Metaphysical foundations of morality

Abstract

As the world makes progress in the consideration of humanity, with so many organizations to promote this nobility, there are also many setbacks in the spectrum of individual and/or collective action. Not necessarily that people are not aware of these shortcomings but that, consciously or unconsciously, people tend to rationalize their position on the basis of some agreed upon, at least tacitly, moral principles. The study tries to address the shortcomings of these moral principles by proposing a more reasonable moral theory. The study itself is divided into five chapters. The first chapter defines the process, the opportunity, the scope and limitations of the entire work. Taking into account the fact that morality itself stirs a lot of suspicions with regard to its genuineness as an instance for the direction of human affairs the second chapter tries to set its foundation. It also shows how ethical theories are embedded in metaphysics which, contrary to what is generally thought of, is the foundational science. The third chapter goes on to verify the truthfulness of the most popularly acclaimed moral theories in order to determine which one of them provides the ultimate standard of morality. Led by the realization that none of these theories is exhaustive and that the difference amongst them is rather in term of their respective emphases, the fourth chapter tries a reconciliation of their general categories and proposes a personalistic morality. In turn, the fifth chapter shows the implications of this personalistic morality for our day-to-day life. The leading idea is that, in whatever sphere of life one may be, one principle remains valid: either human action would conform to human dignity and thus promote both personal integrity and social cohesion or it would lose its very meaning and thus become a threat to our own race. We are then co-responsible of the destiny of our own humanity.