Is there such a thing as moral neutrality?

[sidetrack]

This is a thought of mine that could probably use some more devolpment.I’ve wondered lately if their’s like a “middle ground” between good and bad.By this I dont mean having a balance of both but having no aligence with either.Someone who essientially foes what they desire out of self-interest while not harming or helping anyone else.The things that come closest to what I’m thinking about is a reporter.Even though I guess reporting can be in a sense good (becuase it provides information about our world) or bad (because it supports some ideological agenda) reporters have to be “objective” be nature and show impartiality.For some reason that part in the “Divine comedy” when before Dante and Virgil enter heck they see the souls of the “uncommited” who did nothing for good or evil and where some people are forced to chose a banner up and down Acheron for eternity while being stung and bitten by insects.Is that kind of why moral neutrality is’nt possible because it shows a lack of commitment to anything?.Please help me out here.Thanks very much so for your time and patience.

 

[Garyjohn2]

I’m not sure how specific you want to get, but moral neutrality does exist.

If I want to part my hair on the left instead of the right tomorrow, that is a morally neutral decision.

In the case of a reporter, is it much more difficult to be morally neutral, because there are so many decisions to be made day-to-day throughout an entire career.

If you merely do what you want out of self interest without harming or helping others, that is not morally neutral. That is morally wrong, because you are being selfish and wasting the talents given to you by God. We are here to server God and each other.

In light of this, I think it is possible to have morally neutral acts but not a morally neutral life. I could be wrong tho!

 

[Aelred_Minor]

It seems to me that ultimately, everything is positive or negative, good or evil.

However, some goods may be of equal worth, so the choice between them would be neutral. Thus, to use the prior example, choosing to part your hair on the side or down the middle is a morally neutral choice, but it takes place within the (usually) morally good choice to comb your hair and in general to maintain your appearance.

 

[passus]

Yes, the middle ground you’re talking about is referred to amorality or amoralism. Life is filled with numerous decisions that are purely amoral and there are also individuals–like babies or mentally challenged people–who are incapable of distinguishing between morality and immorality and so every decision for them becomes amoral.