Wilkinson

DanielleWilkinson
ProfessorBettridge
UNST114
13October15
TheIllusiveRewardsofMorality
Moralitytendstobeahighlytalkedaboutsubject.Tobroadlydefinemoralityistolimit
thepersonaldescriptionsthateachpersonhassetforthemselves.Forthispaper,Ithinkmorality
meansthatyouareakind,genuineperson,whohasnothingbutgoodintentions.Therewardsfor
beingmoralareultimatelyillusive,unlesspersonalizedintodayssociety.Moralityisusedfor
personalgain,anddoesnotnecessarilymakeyouahonorable,orattheleast,ahappyperson.
Thecharacterofagoodpersongivesaestheticpleasure.(McGinn96).McGinnstates
inthisquotethattherewardforbeingagood,moralpersonisthatitmakesyoubeautifulin
manydifferentways(96).Thisformofbeautyisdesirableamongmanypeople.Althoughthe
bigquestionis,whowouldratherbephysicallybeautifulbutrotteninside,orbeuglywitha
beautifulglowfromtheirinnerbeauty.Oneofthegoodrewardsofbeingamoralpersonis
definitelyshownbythewayapersonlooksoracts.Whenyouseesomeonewalkingdownthe
street,andtheyhaveahugesmileontheirfacewithawelcomingattitude,youprobablyarent
scared.Althoughifsomeonelooksasiftheyareabouttogorobyourneighborhoodgrocery
store,youareprobablygoingtocrossthestreetbeforeyoubothcrosspaths.Thismakes
appearanceagreatrewardformorality,howevernotallpeoplecanberewardedwithbeauty.So
ifyouwanttomakeupforlackoflooks,youcansimplybecomeadecenthumanbeing,
(McGinn96).Yes,moralityisattractive.Ipersonallywouldchoosesomeonewhoismorally

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good,ratherthansomeonewhoisextremelyinternallycorruptedthatitsshowingthroughtothe
outside.
McGinnalsowrotealistofmoralmaxims,andonestoodouttome:Stareatyourselfin
themirroronceinawhile,(107).Personalinventoryhasalottodowithmorality.Ifyoucan
stareatyourselfwithoutcringing,oryoucansleepwithyourselfatnightwithoutlyingawake
thinkingaboutyourmistake,thenyouarejustifiablyamoralperson.Thisreward,sleeping,
staring,etc.,helpsyoukeepaclearconscience.
Ourconsciencehelpskeepusonamoralpathbybeingthatlittlevoiceofreasoninthe
backofourheadsthatdictateswhichwaytogo.Sumnersays,Consciencemightbeaddedas
anothernaturalorsupernaturalvoiceintuition,(27).Thisvoiceintuitioncontributestoour
moralityinmanyways.First,ithelpsdeterminewhatiswrongandwhatisright.Everyonehas
differentviewswhenitcomestodeterminingtherewardsofhavingaclearconscience.
However,asIsaidbefore,itdefinitelyallowsyoutosleepbetteratnight.
Plato,although,didntthinktherewereanyrewardstobeingagood,moralperson.They
sayalsothathonestyisforthemostpartlessprofitablethandishonestyandtheyarequiteready
tocallwickedmenhappy,(538).Torelatethistothepresent,peoplewhosmoke,drink,party,
andessentiallyarewicked,doseemhappier.However,thiswillnotbenefitthemthemostinthe
end.Thosewhostudy,workhard,andaresuccessfulincollegeareultimatelysettingupagreat
lifeforthemselvesinthefuture.Therewardforbeinginmoralinthisscenariowouldbethatyou
arecreatingstabilityfortherestofyourlifebyleadingamorallife.Anotherscenarioinvolving
dishonestywouldbethatonceyoulie,youcreateagiantwebofliestoprotectthefirstone.This
hurtswaymorepeopleintheendandmakesitwaylessprofitableandisincrediblyimmoral.

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ThelastpointthatIwouldliketoarguearethedarkerrewardsofmorality.In
Folkways
andEthicalRelativism,
WilliamGrahamSumnerstates,Everyyearthousandsperishofdisease
thatmightrecoveriftheywouldtakepropernourishmentanddrinkthemedicinethatscience
prescribes,butwhichtheyimaginethattheirreligionforbidsthemtotouch,(22).Moralityhasa
lottodowithreligionanditsbasiclaws.Christianity,forexample,hasalotofbasicrulesto
follow.Some,inpresentday,havebecomeharderthanothers.Inotherreligions,theyarent
allowedtoeatcertainfoodsthatareconsideredevil,orimpure.Thesamegoeswithmedicine.
Thepeoplewhodiebecausetheyresistcertainfoodsormedicinesfortheirmoralityare
sacrificingtheirlivesforsomethingtheybelievein.Thisiseitherstrongorstupid,andthe
rewardforthistypeofrewardisessentiallydeath.Whatcomesafterdeathisnotacanofworms
thatIwouldliketoopen,buthopefullyitisrewarding.
Ivenevermetanentirelymorallyjustperson.NordoIplantoevermetone.Lifehasits
upsanddownswhichmakesourmoralpathgoalittleeskew.Myrewardformypersonal
moralityisIlovetheviewitgives.Idontdoitforthebeauty,clearconscience,orforreligious
purposes.IdoitbecauseIgenuinelywanttobeagoodpersonandwanttohelppeople
throughouttheirjourneyaswell.Moralitycomeswithinnumerablegoodandbadrewards.This
iswhymoralityispersonalizedtoeachhumanbeing.Onemustweighthebenefitspersonally,
andunderstandthatbeingagoodpersonsometimeshasnorewardatall.

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WorksCited
McGinn,Colin.
MoralLiteracy,Or,HowtoDotheRightThing
.London:Duckworth,
1992.Print.
Sumner,WilliamGraham,andJohnLadd."FolkwaysandEthicalRelativism."
Ethical
Relativism,
.Lanham,MDUPofAmerica,1985.Print.
Plato,andBenjaminJowett."Crito."
DialoguesofPlato,ContainingtheApologyof
Socrates,Crito,Phaedo,andProtagoras.
NewYork:P.F.Collier&Son,1900.
Print.