Moral Duty: Instrument Of Values ​​

We all have a morality. We know – or intuit – what is right and what is wrong. However, knowing that something is wrong is not enough to not do it. Sometimes the benefits that certain actions bring to us do not arise only from the respect of a universal morality. Indeed, despite the benefits, sometimes we refuse to perform certain actions on the basis of what our morality, or moral duty, requires of us.

We are therefore endowed with a moral conviction. These are some moral norms which we must adhere to or not. Specifically, we will stick to what are considered moral duties. We can therefore say that respecting the environment is a moral value, but if we don’t feel it, sometimes we may not respect it.

Moral norms

Moral norms are beliefs that are particularly influenced by culture. In part they refer to whether an act should or should not be carried out. Although they may vary from one person to another, in general they are similar between people belonging to the same culture. For example, eating pork is a well-regarded action in the context of some religions and poorly viewed in others.

To sum it up, we all base our attitudes on beliefs about what is right and wrong. Such beliefs lead us to describe certain conduct as correct or incorrect. But these beliefs may not be shared by other people, as a result we may think they are misbehaving or acting the wrong way.

Moral beliefs

Above moral norms are moral convictions. These are metacognitive beliefs that people may have about a specific attitude. In other words, it is our judgment on beliefs.

A moral conviction can be interpreted as a particularly strong and important norm. It could be said that there is a qualitative difference between the moral norm and moral conviction.

The big difference between the moral norm and moral convictions is that the former evaluates whether an action is correct or not, while the convictions evaluate whether a given belief is correct or not. Having moral convictions is a step forward from moral standards.

If a person has moral beliefs about the environment as a value, it means that the environment is important to him, not that taking a certain action towards the environment is right or wrong.

The moral duty

As if we were climbing one step further, moral duty is the highest step, above the moral norm and moral convictions. Duty is understood as a personal decision on whether or not to participate in collective action, based on the belief that it must be done. This type of duty is also considered a powerful motivational force.

Moral obligations enter into personal codes of conduct. It’s about self-respect, so people take these actions regardless of what others think. When they do, they feel a certain personal well-being. Conversely, if they don’t do the action, guilt is triggered.

Components of moral duty

What distinguishes belief from duty is that the former is a set of beliefs, while the latter is a motivational detonator that leads to action. That is to say that moral obligation is the motivation for acting according to moral conviction.

At the same time, the moral obligation is composed of a sense of duty towards the action itself, autonomy and personal satisfaction, as well as the discomfort given by the inaction and the sacrifice to perform it.

Summing up, one could come to the conclusion that the moral norm is what defines which conduct is correct and which is wrong, while moral obligation is the motivation that induces to stick to the moral norm. In other words, moral norms will be the individual’s personal guidelines, while moral obligation will be the motivation he will feel for behaving accordingly.