Morality as collective self-consecration

Författare

Eva Kärfve

Summary, in English

In this paper two hypotheses concerning the structure of moral systems are suggested, First, that morality should be regarded as a normative standard, originating and moulded in ritual interaction, with the supreme function of maintaining self-consecration of the group. Consequently, the most prominent class of moral norms concerns faithfulness, basically in terms of loyalty to the group, symbolically in upholding certain beliefs and following moral commands and prohibition rules prescribved by the moral system of the particular group. These suggestions are then briefly examined when describing the moral systems of two different groups–early Christians of the first century AD, and a Rom tribal unit in contemporary Sweden. Finally, an attempt is made to find out whether an analysis in accordance with these proposals can shed light on a specific moral event, concerning the problematic issue of euthanasia.

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