All cultures have moral codes. A moral code is a "system of principles and other standards designed to guide people's conduct" (Arthur, 2009, p. 10). A simple moral code we all know and often adhere to is the Golden Rule. Society must believe in a moral code to guide conduct or we would all be at risk of harm from the self-interest of others and society would become chaos if no one believed in moral codes.
It is clearly logical to have a moral code in place in society to keep people safe. Self-interest and selfish impulses often lead individuals to unfairly injure others for their own gain. The examples of the greed and corruption at Enron and of investor Bernie Madoff show how many innocent people are injured when greedy and self-interested people profit at their expense by acting immorally. Thousands of people lost the savings and their future income from a lifetime of sacrifice and work due to these two scandals.
Without a moral code in society, chaos would ultimately rule. This is because without a moral code there is little trust or faith in institutions. If politicians and law enforcement agents acted immorally, nobody would trust these institutions and the bonds of society would break down. The clamor that erupted over allegations that the Bush Administration acted immorally in torturing prison detainees suspected of terrorism is evidence of this.
In conclusion, moral codes are believed in because they serve a legitimate and useful purpose in society. They help protect innocent people from the selfish impulses of others. They also help hold society together by promoting trust and faith in social institutions. For these two reasons people must believe in a moral code.
Arthur, J. (2009). Famine relief and the ideal moral code. Retrieved January 10, 2009 from: http://www.unc.edu/~hassoun/phil30/Famine%20Relief%20and%20the%20Ideal%20M
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