On the one hand, our highest moral ideals have never become customary;
we long, in our best moments, to make them habitual, but seldom actually
attain them. The morals of Jesus, of Buddha, of Marcus Aurelius, have
never become habits with any but the saints, yet we recognize them
as the high-water mark of human morality. On the other hand, many of
our customs have no moral aspect. I may have a fixed habit of going
from my home to my office by a certain one out of a number of equally
advantageous routes. All of the members of my set may habitually
pronounce a given word in a certain way rather equally correct.
But about such habits there is nothing moral or immoral. In a word,
MORALS ARE CUSTOMS THAT MATTER, OR ARE SUPPOSED
TO MATTER; standards to which each member of a group is
expected by the other members to conform, and for the neglect
of which he is punished, frowned upon, scorned, or blamed.
Toward these standards he feels, therefore, a vague or definite
pressure, the reflection in him of he feelings of his fellows.
The line between mere habits or manners and morals is differently
drawn in different times and places, according to the differing ideas
as to what matters. The same actions which are moral to one community
( i.e, arouse feelings or judgments of commendation) may be immoral to
another community ( i.e., arouse reprobation or scorn) and non-moral to
a third ( i.e., arouse no such response at all).
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