Blog Assignment #2


1. Were the questions on the Moral Sense Test difficult to answer (psychologically, emotionally, conceptually, technically, etc.)? Why or why not? Do you think your responses to the Moral Sense Test questions were consistent? Does this matter?
I had a hard time answering some of the questions because I felt like I needed more information to decide my feelings on the issue. I also had a difficult time with the choices for punishment - I am not sure if my definition of very severe punishment would be the same as theirs. Some of the questions, however, were very easy for me to form an opinion, like the one with the barn yard animals. I felt like a lot of my answers were consistent. I didn't have any technical difficulties with the test, in fact it was very easy to navigate.
2. Should people always follow the law? Why or why not? When might one be justified in NOT following the law? Give examples.
I suppose that technically we should follow the law. Laws were written to protect us, so we would have a safe place to live. I guess there is also the question of who's law we are abiding. I think for a lot of people the more severe the consequences, the more likely they will be to follow the law. I can think of an instance in which you may at least FEEL justified with breaking the law. When it became a law in California that you couldn't smoke in a bar, there were several local bars that would allow smoking if all the patrons in the bar were smokers. Then there were the ones that knew how much the fine for smoking was and the patrons would all chip in enough money to cover the fine so that they could smoke if they felt like it. That seems logical to me.
3. In your own words, explain what "social convention" means. Give examples.
Social convention is an unwritten code of behavior that people tend to stick to. For instance, one of the questions on the Moral Sense Test was about how a person ate his food in a restaurant. In our society it is considered rude behavior to eat without using your utensils, but I imagine it has not always been that way. Another example that comes to mind is passing gas in public. When I was in school it would have been the most embarrassing situation you could imagine, but now the kids in high school think it's funny and even compete to see who can be the most obnoxious.

4. Should people always follow the conventions of their society? Why or why not? Give examples.
No. I think that social convention changes subtly with time. I remember when it was so cool to have a cell phone that using it practically anywhere was okay, almost a status symbol. But now that everyone and their toddler has a cell phone, our perception of rude cell phone behavior has changed. Another example would be how society changed in the 60's and 70's with the "hippie" culture and the idea of free love. I think that a lot of people were fine with that in the beginning but as they tried it as a lifestyle they saw that it fell apart over time.
How about all the videos of girls fighting on the internet? Is that socially acceptable in their world? I can't go along with that one either.

5. Should people always follow their own principles? Why or why not? Give examples.
I think that people should most definitely stick to their priniciples. Perhaps I should say that I expect people to follow their own principles. I just don't think we all share the same principles and that is what makes it a difficult question to answer. If you consider the radical suicide bomber sticking to his principles, then I have a problem with that. If you have a teenager that has been taught not to use drugs and he/she sticks to those principles in the face of peer pressure, then I applaud that stand.

6. Explain in your own words the difference between socially acceptable, legally acceptable, and morally acceptable.
In my opinion socially acceptable means that your behavior or actions in a group setting are considered okay by most people. For instance, it may be socially acceptable to smoke a hookah in a bar on Friday night, but don't take it to the little league game the next day. Legally acceptable means that your actions won't require your friends to bail you out of jail the next day. Morally acceptable is a deeper subject. Acting in a moral way means that your actions will not leave you feeling guilty and shameful afterwards.

7. Out of 25 points, how many points do you feel your work on this assignment deserves? Justify your answer.
I'm leaning strongly towards the big two-five. I read the instructions and got the hint that short answers were frowned upon. I feel like my responses to this assignment were more free flowing than the last one and may be a little better thought out.