What does "right" really mean? How do you know when something is truly right or
wrong?
The number one definition of “right” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is
righteous and upright. The second definition is “being in accordance with what is just, good, or
proper”. One would think that these definitions would help someone understand the word
“right”, but in actuality, they only prove to raise more questions. If we want to understand what it
means to be “right”, we must first understand what it means to be righteous and upright. In
Romans 3:10, Paul scribes “as it is written: ‘None is righteous, no, not one’ (ESV)”. This
scripture is very clear that no one is upright or good apart from Jesus. In 1 John 2:29, the author
explains that “If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices
righteousness has been born of him (ESV)”. The “he” in this scripture is Jesus. Since the Bible is
the inerrant word of God, it would be safe to assume that “right” quite literally means to be
following the teachings of Jesus.
All of the scripture and deductive reasoning previously outlined in this post is simple and
obvious for most Christians; but for the rest of the population, this logic does not register. People
who do not believe that the Bible is inerrant have a difficult time making ethical or “right”
decisions. In the article, “Character education: Christian education perspectives”, the authors
discuss how postmodernism is rapidly invading the education system. “This backlash of
postmodernism asserts that Christian virtue and absolute truth cannot be held as exclusive
morality. Educators sometimes are tormented with the irrational fear that they need to be very
careful never to push on their students any form of morality or absolutes, but only to create an
environment in which children can determine their own set of moral truths (Wilhelm & Firmin,
2008, Pg. 190)”. Postmodernism asserts moral relativism as the only real moral law. Those who
follow the postmodern thought often believe that morality is dictated by society. “It can be stated
that postmodern ethics should not be comprehended, in any of its directions, as a post-moralist
attempt of circumventing or bedimming some universal moral exigencies, regulated by the
principle of impartiality (Iftode, 2015, Pg. 11)”.
Postmodernism is not searching for truth, rather it is searching for nothing. “The
construction of postmodern ethical relativism under the sign of a relational ethics opens the
ethical practices towards a building of a reality defined by personal instances that relate to the
imagined community and an imagined horizon (Grad & Frunza, 2016, Pg. 326)”. This quote
explains the dangerous nature of following post-modern thought. It explains that one’s own
personal perspective is the only truth in the universe. Someone who whole-heartedly embraces
postmodernism will never be able to define something as “right” or “wrong”.
References:
GRAD, I., & FRUNZA, S. (2016). Postmodern ethics and the reconstruction of authenticity in
communication-based society. Revista De Cercetare Si Interventie Sociala, 53, 326-336.
Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1799362002?accountid=12085
Iftode, C. (2015). POSTMODERN ETHICS, MULTIPLE SELVES, AND THE FUTURE OF
DEMOCRACY. Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies, 14(42), 3-26.
Retrieved from http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1779515297?accountid=12085
The Holy Bible, ESV
Wilhelm, G. M., & Firmin, M. W. (2008). Character education: Christian education
perspectives. Journal of Research on Christian Education, 17(2), 182-198.
doi:10.1080/10656210802433384
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