Trial and Error of Morals

The model of the development of a person's moral code that i take to be the most applicable draws from both of the ideas brought up by Mr. Perkin's in the last 2 posts: the idea of moral models and the idea of practicing morality. People constantly grow, change, and adapt the way they are to achieve the most satisfying style of life for themself. In the sense of morality people often use a form of trial and error to make their moral code. This of course cannot be applied to those that have a predetermined and strict code they already follow closely, such as a religious code, but for those that do not have rigid code it seems to occur the most.

When people grow up it is almost always their parents that give them guidance and direction as to how they should be "good" or moral; whether this comes in the form of suggestions or commands it has a profound effect on the child or teen. If a child grows up and their parents consistently consume alcohol around them they will come to believe that it is morally correct for them to do so even if their parents tell them it isn't, this is where trial and error comes into play. That person takes this new morally questionable activity and tries it out, if they enjoy what they are doing, gain satisfaction or happiness from it then it is likely they will continue to do it and henceforth accept it as a morally correct action. On the other hand if they have a horrible experience with it they will see that the action is really not morally right for them and realize that their parents or whoever/whatever else was telling them it wasn't were right. This process continues for an infinite amount of various actions a person chooses to try which is how people develop a method for practicing a moral code. The practicing is a constant form of trial and error that continually reshapes the code while testing it. This means a person can add or take away any action any amount of times they desire at any time. For many people this becomes the most convenient and easy to way to. continue a happy and "good" or moral life because they can always change how they are to make themself feel better. Although this is not true for everyone it seems to be the most socially acceptable and common of our society today.