Can one always maintain a standard of morals?

[Liqaye]

A person cannot maintain any standard of morals when they has no ordinary means of living

 

(Kenkò Hoshi, 14th century Japanese Buddhist spiritual leader

 

Do you agree, that an individual's enviroment presupposes the level of morality he attains, for instance is a senegalese woman living on half the minimum need to SURVIVE expected to attain and be held to the same level of morals that an arab doctor maintains?

 

Nature or nuture?

[SCORPION_SISTA]

hmmm interesting concept...I don't agree with word "cann't" maintain standard morals...I don't think that is true to a great extent...Yeah sometimes, people who are poor, or below poverty levels do resort to theft or lying and what not...But also I noticed a large number of wealthy people commite more moral crimes than poorer people...Medical mal-practices, fraud, embazzelment, and list goes on...Bottom line for me comes to which one, heaven or earth, that is an individual more concerned with?...And depending on the answer to that I would say "yes standard of morals can be maintained with lower income"...bee bye

[Viking]

The average Senegalese woman lives a very humble lifestyle compared to a PhD holder from the Middle East. Wealth is known to corrupt the soul and the wealthiest nation on earth is today the most gluttonous one.

 

The USA has about 3% of the worlds population but consumes 40% of its natural resources. The IMF and World bank are also based in Washington, they are organisations that ensure that the poor in the world stay poor.

 

Wealth doesn't ensure ethics and morals, good values do. Nurture, i.e. Islam, and not your genes decide your mode. Geneticists might argue otherwise.

 

Liqaaye, if I have misunderstood your initial question, please inform me.

[underdog]

Personally I would equate Moral strength as a testament to your character. So can you trust yourself to do the right thing when you're in a jam? Most people won't, that's not a opinion, thats fact.

 

Whether that's nature or nurture is mute point that can be argued forever. Nature would determine someones personal strength to resist temptation. Nurture would dictate your belief structure and how you prioritize relevance. At the end of the day, its a coin toss. Some people will fold and sacrifice morality for minor victories while others will endure and keep thier moral fabric intact.

[Paragon]

"A person cannot maintain any standard of morals when they has no ordinary means of living

 

(Kenkò Hoshi, 14th century Japanese Buddhist spiritual leader"

 

 

I think in as long as justifications -however lame - exist, the maintenance of high moral standard is bound to be compromised. Ask yourself, when are you likely to act immorally?

[Warmoog]

Interesting question Liqaye…

In my view, morals are a product of character. I don’t think a person’s moral standards are related to their means of living. In other words, a poor person isn’t necessarily more likely to steal or lie as a middle-class or wealthy person. Although poor individuals sometimes steal for survival, the rich also steal out of greed. Moreover, there are people who commit theft and other immoral acts not out of necessity, but for sheer sport or for the ‘thrill’. So… to answer your question I would say yes – one can maintain moral standards without an ordinary means of living.

 

Salaamz.

[SomeAlien]

define moral or morality cause thats pretty subjective, isnt it? so please define your terms for morality, is it just to live by the book (quran), or to do what you believe is right depending on the situation?

 

edit

i didnt mean as if thats what i do, but criminals have their own set of moralitiy dont they? thats what i was getting at. i just realized where i posted soplease people dont attack me, i think i brought up a good point.