The Cost of Morality

In Susan Howatch’s novel, Sins of the Fathers, Teresa says to the banker, “I don’t believe in capitalism. I think it’s immoral.” He replies, “Morality is like mink, it’s great if you can afford it.”
In Twenty-first-Century society in the United states, morality is not on the “in” list of concepts. It definitely is “out.” The bottom line is in. The self is in. Success is in. The moral perspective on things is considered a nice but outdated concept. Nietzsche’s philosophy that morality is a sign of weakness, is for the loser, and needs to be revised in an upside-down manner is, perhaps unconsciously, the ruling philosophy.

“Morality is great if you can afford it”? That is true. If we are moral,that is, if we insist on doing the “right” thing, we are apt to lose out to those who insist on making a profit, winning first place, get promoted. Morality is okay to speak of if you already have all your bases covered, all your ducks in a row. Otherwise, morality is expendable.

Those of us who insist on being moral, acting ethically, doing the right thing, need to be aware that it often will cost us. True morality is aware of the price that must be paid, but knows that it will cost more in a different kind of coin if we choose to act unethically. If nothing else, our conscience will powerfully and painfully remind us of the cost of immorality.

Can we afford to do the right thing whatever the cost, or must we count the cost before we decide to live morally?