Is Individual Morality Possible

"Is individual morality possible"a theoretical issue aroused by the current moral situations examining from Bauman's post-modern ethics, aims at rethinking and criticizing modern ethics through borrowing the theoretical resources of his theory, thereby establishing and enhancing individual's moral competence and recognition. Grounded on Marxist moral theory, this paper in the view of historical dialectics undertakes to analyze the theoretical logic and practical value of Bauman's moral concept---- showing author's way of thinking. The author first explained and probed into the methodological basis of Bauman's thoughts (i.e. logical start, origin and stand), and revealed a universal ethical dilemma through Bauman's examination of modernity. Since the beginning of the Enlightenment, logos has become a basic factor of modern planning. Morality, anyway, cannot escape from the managing attempt of rationality and complicated, exquisite operation. When rational planning is brought into goals of modernity, the top-to-bottom oxymoronic ethics has just become a common expression for rationalization, because logos featuring independence, neutrality and universality just represents ideological form of modernity."The contradiction it made is much more than that it attempts to eliminate."Bauman suggests that essentially speaking, morality should be uncertain, multi-layer, and cannot be generalized, even paradoxical; it is not an absolutely rational law but a complexity of instinct, passion and experience. In our daily life, morality roots in the quality and competence of qualified individuals, relies on the survival conditions of them as well as their moral impulse, and is not framed within logos order. However, modern ethics tries to build various forms of common moral criteria under universal moral logos, to ensure modern people's freedom of life and value pursuit; while the standardized ethic obligation also restricts objectively individual's freedom, against liberalism of modernity and individualist value. Therefore, Bauman insisted on post-modern ethnics of"responsible for others"which, he thought, could replace legal-standard-subjected modern ethics. In moral primal scene, moral self is a kind of no-root egotism, which is founded merely by moral responsibility and moral impulse, thereby calling for moral responsibility of human kind and recovering creativity and possibility of individuals.Bauman's post-modern ethics, we may find out, opposes ontological ethics and makes morality individualized. We should have realized modernity of ethic mechanism which is formed under the authorities of logos suppresses individual's moral ability to certain extent, but we also should have become aware of social function while post-modernity focuses on rights of individual's morality. In Marxist view, morality reflects social being, so moral individual cannot disconnect with social foundation. Neither comprehension of moral freedom nor its practice can break away from the social historical background of any practical and concrete man. So the points of view from Bauman's post-modern ethics show us a clear landscape: we should not only respect individual's moral freedom in moral building, but lay emphasis on the conjunct improvement of society and individual, and build individual freedom on the sound interaction between individuals and society, thereby establishing an positive ethics. In the sense, the paper holds current moral building should pay more attention to respect the freedom and rights of individuals."The most priority is to guarantee a clear definition of social position for citizen, social member, which remains both a basis for individuals to pursue and build their moral life and a rational requirement for state to conduct measures in promoting moral progress."Modernity is a belated issue for China. China triggered her whole process of modernization building through undergoing market-oriented economy. The great achievement it brought, the emergence and rapid development of market economy all have greatly strengthened utilitarian consciousness of society and man, which is inclined to produce negative influence under the economy. In details, utilitarianism prevailing in social life can shape the practical interests among various social relations, for many forms try to safeguard their self-interest under the driving of interest principle, man communicates with others under equivalent exchange law. The unharmonious phenomenon, especially in the transformational period, becomes more obvious, blocking further development of China to a certain extent. So enhancing moral building in this moment shows more importance and impendence than ever. However, when people call for moral rebuilding, few of them focus on improving individual's morality. We should be aware of the importance of moral building for individuals, compared with other drives for grand values. Individual moral building remains an essential goal in spiritual fields of moral construction, and has a more power against moral crisis and degrading in the transformational period, so we should hold up and carry forward it.China takes market economy as its start and guidance in moral building, that is, problems emerging in the building of market economy require the improvement of moral building, while moral building in turn promotes the development of market economy. In this sense, China's moral building remains a strong role as a tool (developing economy is the goal). Obviously, it follows a thinking way of tool reality. Modernity morality, actually, seems a result of expansive tool reality. However, when China has established the absolute legality of tool logos, it is unavoidable to make people regard morality as a tool, which has become the reason why many Chinese gave up individual's morality.In Bauman's point of view, morality is a way of existence, disconnected with social goal, economy, politics and culture. It as a free option of individual's life has its aim. If it changed with social goals, moral building would essentially serve for safeguarding self-interest of ruling class. Society employs individual's morality to realize its goal, so the morality in fact has lost its value.Therefore, the paper holds that in moral building, we should focus on the rebuilding of moral individual in real life, especially on that of their concept, consciousness and spirit, thereby cultivating a lofty belief in morality. It is a major work in moral building. In this sense, the key to achieving success in China's moral building is to form a real belief among a part of people, through long-term, profound and wide building, while ensuring their freedom in pursuing moral value. We cannot expect everyone has high morals, because in such pluralistic times it is impossible and can never be relied on. The practical moral building mentioned in the paper is available and justice.