Everything is relative – this age-old concept can be applied to many situations, which include differentiating between “right” or “wrong”. Each person tends to remain convinced that there is only one solution to this dilemma. In fact, such reasoning often becomes the root of heated debates and even conflicts, especially in the sphere of politics. First of all, these situations arise when feelings prevail over objectivity.
According to Boler and Davis (2018), the affective politics of today often address people on the level of feelings, making the right-wrong dilemma subjective and instigating conflicts. As per these ideas, the world is entering the post-truth era, in which knowledge and reasoning are no longer the main instruments of problem-solving. Feelings are subjective, and their dominating role in decision-making leads to the formation of biases that draw further divisions between various points of view (Chong, 2017). This way, the concepts of right and wrong are further transformed through the lens of subjective thinking.
People pursue varying decision-making patterns because of the differences in value paradigms. In other words, each individual has their own priorities in life and failing to understand the priorities of others leads to conflict of opinions. A young San Francisco lawyer will eagerly defend old growth forest. First, they may be his preferred locations to visit on weekends. Second, a well-educated, affluent lawyer is more likely to consider higher concepts, such as environmental protection. To this lawyer, the dilemma is not difficult: cutting these trees is wrong whereas preserving forests is right. On the other hand, a sawmill worker would take a different stance on the matter. To him, the priority is to survive and provide for his family by any possible means. Cutting old trees may his only source of income, as the lack of education and social security limits his choice of employment.
In this scenario, the worker’s more basic priorities prevent his reasoning from addressing higher concepts. In the scripture, the dichotomy of right and wrong has a clear solution that is to align with God’s principles embodies by Jesus (John 14:6). Moreover, deciding between good and evil is the ultimate test for a human being that is to be judged by God only. Nevertheless, the necessity of respecting other people’s views and being able to appraise their position remain a critical social competency in the current environment.
References
Boler, M., & Davis, E. (2018). The affective politics of the “post-truth” era: Feeling rules and networked subjectivity. Emotion, Space, and Society, 27, 75–85. Web.
Chong, P. (2017). Valuing subjectivity in journalism: Bias, emotions, and self-interest as tools in arts reporting. Journalism, 20(3), 427–443. Web.