Most times, if we use common sense the difference between right and wrong is fairly easy to see. In these situations it is not the polar opposites that need definition, but rather the distance between them and the realm of the word “okay”. Whether you think people are born with the natural ability to distinguish right from wrong, or come by it as they grow up, it is commonly accepted that rational people posses it. If they don’t they should plead insanity. It is the land in between that creates the dilemma for most of us. Some things are neither right, nor wrong. For these times we should probably distinguish things in terms like the words of a young Spock. “While morally praiseworthy, it is not morally obligatory”.
Just like some things are not right, but are okay, there is a difference in the terms “wrong” and “harm”. Professional football is a great example. If a cornerback picks off two of the opposing quarterbacks passes, during the super bowl, he certainly isn’t doing the man’s career any favors. Ask Neil O’Donnell. However, while his actions directly harmed the quarterback, you cannot consider him as having done anything wrong. In fact, reality is quite the opposite. That cornerback is your Super Bowl MVP.
I think that most ethical concerns derive more from the how than the actual what of our lives. Its not what we set out to do that usually puts us in a quandary. It is much more often what we are willing to do to accomplish our goals, that is the problem. It is when we cross the line and are willing to exceed the moral constraints and break the rules we live by and believe in to get what we are after that our pursuits become ethically wrong.
Conversely, perspective matters a lot. While I may have strong moral beliefs one way, another may feel quite the opposite. That is why it is so hard to separate our own personal preferences from ethical absolutes. Ethical absolutes are hard to come by in this life, and are subject to slow and inevitable change. What may be considered an ethical this century may easily be considered personal preference in the next.
People’s ethical beliefs are as different as their fingerprints. While they are generally a lot a like, no two are exactly the same. It is for this reason that laws must exist. There must be a common standard that draws lines in the sand for the betterment of the common good of the people overall.
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