Why Young Americans Can't Think Morally

Why Young Americans Can't Think Morally:

Last week, David Brooks of The New York Times wrote a column on an academic study concerning the nearly complete lack of a moral vocabulary among most American young people. Below are some excerpts from Brooks' summary of the study of Americans aged 18 to 23. (It was led by "the eminent Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith.")

"Smith and company asked about the young people's moral lives, and the results are depressing …

"When asked to describe a moral dilemma they had faced, two-thirds of the young people either couldn't answer the question or described problems that are not moral at all …

"Moral thinking didn't enter the picture, even when considering things like drunken driving, cheating in school or cheating on a partner …

"The default position, which most of them came back to again and again, is that moral choices are just a matter of individual taste …

"As one put it, 'I mean, I guess what makes something right is how I feel about it. But different people feel different ways, so I couldn't speak on behalf of anyone else as to what's right and wrong …

"Morality was once revealed, inherited and shared, but now it's thought of as something that emerges in the privacy of your own heart."

(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...