This statement by the French writer Albert Camus shows the importance of morality in
human society. In fact, it is because of morality that human behavior becomes humane. If
morality disappears from the world, the condition of human beings will become similar to
that of animals, who are afraid even of members of their own species and whose existence
becomes a threat to others. Morality acts as a guide in a person’s life. Whenever a person
faces a crisis or dilemma, morality helps him distinguish between right and wrong and
provides proper guidance. However, it is also true that when rigidity enters morality, instead
of guiding human life, it becomes the basis for the exploitation and oppression of many
individuals and communities, ultimately violating human rights and dignity.
Before discussing the topic, we should briefly understand rigid morality and modern
morality. Morality may be defined as those moral principles or values that describe
standards of good and bad, right and wrong. Morality is a social system that determines
norms of values and conduct for the members of a society and tries to regulate their
behavior accordingly. Every society develops values and principles according to its needs
at a particular time. However, they should not be carried forward from generation to
generation without evaluation because, after a certain period, old values and principles
may lose their relevance.
Even so, these values, principles, and systems are considered necessary for ethical
conduct in human society, and then they assume the form of rigid morality. For example, in
ancient times, the practice of animal sacrifice might have been continued to control their
population, but in the present time sacrificing animals in the name of religious festivals
certainly represents rigid morality. Whereas modernity is a way of thinking, an idea that
shows a person the right path to become more aware of the world and to adopt a
humanitarian outlook. Therefore, in modern life, values such as freedom, equality, and
fraternity should be given importance.
The question now arises as to why rigid morality cannot guide modern life. If we try to
understand this issue, it becomes clear that rationality, reasoning, and dynamism play an
important role in modern life. If rigid morality is considered the guide of modern life on
these criteria, it cannot fulfill that role because rigid morality does not possess the
tendency to change. Even when time moves forward, it cannot transform itself according to
changing circumstances, which becomes the basis for the exploitation and oppression of
many individuals in society.
In modern life, the importance of religion gradually decreases. At the same time, these
traditions and practices establish the dominance of a particular class or community in
society. In modern life, this tendency increases inequality in society. Moreover, religious
beliefs, traditions, and practices are not based on logic and rationality; therefore, they
cannot guide modern life.
It is noteworthy that human beings have natural instincts and emotions. Their expression
and fulfillment are very important for a person’s life because they maintain enthusiasm and
vitality in life. In rigid morality, these natural instincts of human beings are restrained in the
name of morality, whereas in modern life, people want to express these instincts freely.
Besides this, rigid morality determines morality on the basis of sexual relations, whereas
modern life interprets simplicity as natural expression. In modern life, morality cannot be
determined merely through sexual relations. The lines of the famous Hindi poet Dharamvir
Bharati strongly express this idea:
“If this is paradise, then how can I measure life?
How can any form or image become a sin for me?
How can the silky excitement of veins become a curse for me?”
It is clear that modern life is an age of rapid change. Therefore, only such a moral system
can guide modern life which moves along with time. The values and principles of morality
should not be extremely rigid; rather, they should possess flexibility. Morality should not be
imposed from outside but should be in a state of internalization. Rigid morality is very
harsh, and despite this, it tries to impose itself upon individuals. Furthermore, changes in
every moral code are necessary; otherwise, they become instruments for exploiting
individuals.
Whether in India or in Western societies, values and principles have been imposed upon
women in the name of socialization, which have contributed to their exploitation. This is
why contemporary feminist ethics rejects all those values, principles, and rules that have
played an important role in the exploitation of women. Therefore, such rigid morality, which
is based on the interests of a few individuals and is rooted in exploitation, can never guide
modern life. Hindi writer Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh expresses these circumstances
accurately:
“All the dangers of expression will have to be faced,
The forts and strongholds will have to be broken.”
Now another question arises: if rigid morality cannot guide modern life, then which moral
system can help in guiding modern life? In reality, morality changes according to countries,
societies, and cultures. A value that may be considered moral in one culture or society may
be immoral in another. For example, vegetarianism is regarded as a value in India, and
people are expected to follow it, whereas in Western societies it is not necessarily
considered a value, and eating non-vegetarian food is not regarded as immoral.
Therefore, there is a need to establish such a moral system that is universal and through
which the ideals of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” and “Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah” can be
followed. Since today the world has become a “global village,” under such circumstances
only universal morality can guide modern life. This morality should adopt good values and
principles from all societies and cultures while abandoning rigid values and rules.
Participation of all individuals is necessary in this moral system. Along with this, morality
should continuously be redefined and transformed according to individuals and society for
overall development and progress.
Conclusion: Morality should not become a basis for curbing individual freedom,
exploitation, or preventing individuals from acting according to their natural tendencies.
For this, morality should be evaluated from time to time so that it does not become rigid.
Rigid morality hinders modern life, prosperity, and development and also promotes hatred
and division in society. It cannot solve modern problems such as environmental issues, the
decline of moral values, growing inequality, and racial conflicts. Therefore, the moral
system should remain ethical from within and should guide modern life. For this,
intellectual people in society should strengthen the culture of dialogue and discussion,
ensure participation of all sections of society, and move in harmony with modern life while
allowing human beings to express their natural tendencies freely.
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