Moral Ambiguity

Some time ago I wrote an entry about make it a law. I don't remember what the law was about or the entry, just that it was extolling the powerful effects making laws have on us. At the time I didn't have much to say about why that might be, just that it could be a very good think, and so we should think about stop thinking about things and just make nice laws to follow.

The post never quite sat right with me, but perhaps I have muddled out why. It is this question of moral ambiguity. Laws eliminate moral ambiguity. In many ways. They set out what we should think, do, how we should and shouldn't act etc. They take away the doubt that our actions are morally dubious. Law is affirmation of our discomfort with moral ambiguity.

Recently there was a court ruling in the UK, or rather an upholding of current law, regarding assisted suicide. The case I'm fuzzy about, but for me it has raised curious questions about the moral ambiguity of life.

Isn't life a morally ambiguous thing? This must be why we want so many laws to help us sort through these various ambiguities--to help us cope with the ambiguities. And this comes just over a month before the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights. An important milestone, as many different parties are trying to use it to add new and expand existing human rights. The call is for the UN to declare and add to the Declaration the moment of the beginning and end of human life.

Of course the implication of stating in perhaps scientific or legal ways will end the debate and the ambiguity in questions of euthanasia and abortion. At least so many people believe. If we can finally legal decide life and therefore human rights begin at x and ends with F then F(x) would be the duration of life, the time during which an entity has UN charter rights. Therefore during that time no measures can be taken to end or stop that life. It would be a violation of human right.

But this is a bit of a call for moral ambiguity. It is from ambiguity that we find freedom. That we find creativity. And that we enjoy life. From trying to sort out for ourselves each of us individuals where our internal moralities fit into the complex web that is a moral philosophy of humanity. If we end that ambiguity we face the danger that we will stop asking certain essential questions about our being. There are some who will not wonder what am I...they will see according to law from F(x) they are human with certain inalienable rights. Rights they have legal recourse to enforce justice when violated.

It is difficult to say it is okay to end a life or prevent a life...and I don't think that is what I am saying. (at least that isn't the intention of this post) rather that each time we are uncertain about the moral position we should have the freedom to assess and examine it. to consider and dissuade the particulars of each situation. (dissuade is the wrong word....hmm...it's something like dissuade)...that life itself is different in every case, that the point of being human is more than a mathematical start and end point. [i hope]. and that moral ambiguity, while creating mostly all of the conflict in our world, is necessarily good for our continuation, our growth and development.

So i guess this is my request, not to end ambiguity. Embrace it, even though it is confusing and difficult. Cherish and nurture it, even if you are repulsed by it. It is a great source of inspiration and creativity. Be generated in it. I know I am.