As loyal devotees of John Locke’s theory of epistemology, it is our view that Man is born with a clean slate (“tabula rasa”). Accordingly, we are firm in our belief that the mandatory inclination of the individual of our sentient species, to perceive himself as a moral and responsible tenant of the planet, or otherwise, is an experientially learned, phenomenon.
The simple act of turning the warm pillow to its cooler and more comfortable side is easy and virtually, instinctive. Others of a contrasting inclination, may, unhappily, sleep on a warm, and less comfortable pillow as a felt acceptance of empirical reality. This alternative, metaphoric reference, may have application to individuals, who see their franchise of life as an unfettered opportunity for self-enhancement, as distinguished from those, who find themselves inclined to see life and its experiences as a burden and perhaps a threat to their interests or concerns.
Notwithstanding its various possible applications, and various uses, we would choose to apply our phrase, “The Cooler Side of The Pillow,” to the analogous subject of moral and ethical choice; notably, as an example of those instances in which the easy route to personal comfort, is in conflict with an, admittedly, uncomfortable and inconvenient, but morally, satisfying, choice of action.
It would be unrealistic to underplay the significant and, conceivably, enduring, impact of early childhood experience within the family. Here, within the home, the initial environment and the entirety of the then, ambient universe, i.e., the (initial) learning experiences of the young child are shaped by those acquired from his personal observation of the nature of his parents’ responses to the varied stimuli. The general experience of the parents, as to their extent of recognition of societal and personal morality will, for least some time, have a measure of effect on the choices of the young, impressionable child.
As the child matures, most relevantly, when he leaves (the context of) his original home, his own personal experiences, and notably, his recalled, personal choice of responses to varied experiences, in time, should enable him to construe an established, internally acceptable, and familiar, self-image; with reference to which, he acquires the guidance of his history of precedential reference, regarding choices, moral and otherwise. This acquired, historical, choice of standards of behavior, and perceived morality may, or may not replicate, in full or part, his early childhood teachings; what was personally comfortable and facile of accomplishment in his early life, may now, conceivably, seem personally, or ethically, uncomfortable.
It is unfortunate to note, that life presents itself with equivocal, or highly complex questions, which, unlike the apocryphal pillow, have various sides, or considerations, attendant upon them, of a practical, social or ethical context. It is seldom possible to easily achieve the aspirational, and ultimate, comfort of proper ethical choice by the fashion of an analogously simple, act like turning an anecdotal pillow to its cooler, and more comfortable side.
We have selected two fine, literary works illustrative of the occasional presentation of events involving difficult and costly, moral or ethical, life choices, Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons,” and Henrik Ibsen’s, “Enemy of The People.”
In Miller’s, “All My Sons,” a modest-sized, aircraft parts manufacturer, during the World War 2 period is faced with the moral choice of making a small correction to his contracted airplane parts and, thereby expend his money-challenged company’s remaining, capital, or ship the slightly defective parts and hope for the best. The unspeakable tragedy caused by his financial choice, rather than the ethical one, included the protagonist’s son, killed, when his fighter plane, crashed, presumably, due to the uncorrected, airplane part. The great tragedy was proximately, caused by said choice of the immoral, but sensible, option not to expend the balance of the manufacturing company’s remaining capital in the preventative repair of the company’s relevant, airplane parts.
In Henrik Ibsen’s, “Enemy of the People,” the protagonist, the town’s medical doctor, earns the harsh censure of his entire town for his principled and ethically, responsible act, of issuing an accurate, public warning that the municipal baths, the town’s main source of income are, dangerously polluted, due to an inadequate draining system.
The two above works, as can be easily, presumed, were selected to illustrate the humanistic theme that the exercise of ethical or moral choice, unlike the facile, decision to reverse a warm pillow, may be at a dear price. Still, as portrayed in the first selection, “All My Sons,” for individuals who are properly socialized, the ethical or moral choice may, albeit costly, nevertheless, be crucial, regarding its existential importance to society, and, on a personal level, the self-recognized, humanism and pride of the actor.
-p.
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