Justification

Why are the ‘right’ right? People’s sense of right and wrong is manipulated by the culture we’re born into. It changes very little unless one actively takes to examining values afresh, as vegans have done by looking at animal exploitation. But whether we have or haven’t re-examined the values we grew up with, we nevertheless have a sense of what is right. But the trouble is that vegans and omnivores are poles apart because of the vegans’ re-evaluation on the question of animal rights. Here is the difference in values, the different way of seeing each other. If, to feed my family, I make a living out of burglary it’s because I do it well and can think of many other livings which are worse; livings which may be more socially acceptable but which are morally worse than burglary. What we do defines us and my ‘right’ is to me right..
Why do we do right? Perhaps because wrong usually fails and fails badly. We innately know that by unleashing our naked, most selfish powers onto the world (without moderating them for the ‘greater good’) we always fail. We know when we’re being destructive and we know that it will come back to haunt us. We all know that by adding to the general state of destruction we go against the grain. Earning our dollars by being destructive reminds us of our past, when as dominator-destructors we tried becoming more beautiful, or at least not so knuckle-dragging. We cut enough ethical corners for the best reasons, or for reasons of profit, or if an absolute bastard, for lining our pockets egregiously. And over the centuries we have continued to act this way, justifying what we do, confirming our own sense of ‘doing right’.
The truly ‘right’ go beyond the pragmatic and know they’re in the right when they exercise restraint. So that when I’m tempted … say with the urge to play my music loudly late at night, if I restrain, if I withhold because people are sleeping next door, I might feel this is the ‘right’ thing to do. Now, if on the other hand I play my music and to hell with the neighbours I know it’s wrong but I do it all the same because I don’t want to forgo my pleasure. This makes me the sort of person who ends up living their life on the backs of others. Our reasoning might be that if I don’t exploit the situation someone else will beat me to it. They will steal my opportunity. They, not me, will benefit. This is why I’m reluctant to leave behind any chance of gaining an advantage.