Between Morals, Ethics, and Akhlaq

Muhammad Bagus Irawan

Introduction

Nowdays, we have seen simptoms of moral decline. The factors which are the advancement of science, technology, and economics. For example in Indonesia, that degradation reducted the thinking of nation following the instans understanding, materialism, hedonism, and consumerism. Resulted in increasing temperature of corruption and conflict. As a result, many inequalities and injustices in society, the more arrogant they are rich while the poor trampled. This is the indicator of the loss of akhlaq, morals, and ethics.

No doubt, when the abstract was overflowing, people fall into the abyss primitiveness to the law of the jungle. Further explained in the book Bandit-Bandit Demokrasi, the nation-state has now been politicized and engineered by bandit dictator (Wibowo, 2011). They spread the banner of capitalism and colonialism that hold all of the assets of natural resources and population to reap the maximum profit for the bandit’s circles. Not just physically torn, they were driving way of thinking and awareness of our nation's philosophy of life marked by licentiousness and decadence that I mentioned above. The way through seduction accomplished advertising, mass media and the desired lifestyle.

ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِي النَّاسِ لِيُذِيقَهُمْ بَعْضَ الَّذِي عَمِلُوا لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ

Corruption has appeared throughout the land and sea by [reason of] what the hands of people have earned so He may let them taste part of [the consequence of] what they have done that perhaps they will return [to righteousness] (QS. Arrum : 41)

Perhaps, I wrote an introduction that is not tangent to the core papers. However, I try to realize how much our lives have been reduced into engineering cartels in disguise. In this paper will not be elaborated how the attempt to resolve the problems of life above. But, we bypass into the basic understanding, whether akhlaq, morals, and ethics? And what's the difference?

Akhlaq

According to al-Munjid, the language akhlaq is the plural of the word khuluq, mean behavior, temperament, tabi'at.[1] While it is known, akhlaq is the power of the soul that drives action easily and spontaneously without thought. Thus, akhlaq is basically the attitude inherent in a person spontaneously manifested in behavior or actions. If the spontaneous act according to both reason and religion, then it is called good morals or akhlaqul karimah. For example, honest, fair, humble, generous, polite, and so on. Conversely, when poorly known bad character or akhlaqul madzmumah. For example miserly, tyrannical, envy, jealousy, lies and so on. Good and bad morals based on the source of value, namely the Qur'an and Sunnah.[2]

According to Imam Ghazali, noble character has four cases are discreet, keeping away from bad behavior, courage (vanquish lust) and fair. "Surely I was sent to perfect good character pious". (HR: Bukhari). In another hadith explained: "The most perfect believers are the best faith depraved." (HR: Ahmad)

Morals

The word morals comes from the Latin "moras", the plural of the word "mos" which means custom. According to KBBI 2008, that moral meaning the teaching of good and evil generally accepted regarding actions, attitudes, obligations, manners, morals. Morale is a term used to define the boundaries of a trait, temperament, will, opinions or actions, which are worth saying right, wrong, good or bad. The inclusion of assessment is right or wrong in a moral one has clearly demonstrated the differences with akhlaq, because one really is the light of the judgment of law in Islam can not be separated from morality.

Good and bad teachings on morality rooted in customs. Hence also, to measure human behavior is good or bad, it can be seen whether the action was in accordance with generally accepted customs of social unity or environment. If so, then it can be good or bad an act morally, is local.[3]

Furthermore, the difference between the moral and the rules for its implementation should not be ignored. Associated with the discipline and moral advancement of quality feelings, emotions, and the human tendency, while its implementation is practical rules of behavior that are subject to a number of considerations and other conventions, although sometimes according to moral criteria. For example: self-esteem, perseverance, courage, piety, and the like.[4]

Ethics

The word ethics comes from the Greek "ethos" in the singular form has many meanings: a common residence; pastures, stables; habit, custom; morals, character; feelings, attitudes, ways of thinking. The plurality is "Etha ta" means the habit. The word that is the background for the formation of the term "ethics" by the philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) used it to show moral philosophy. So, if we restrict ourselves to the origin of this word, the "ethics" means: the science of what is usual or customary science.[5]

Ethics is etymologically has the same meaning as moral. However, the terminology, ethics in specific positions have different meanings to morale. For ethics has three positions that ethics as a system of values, code of ethics and moral philosophy. [6]

As a system of values​​, ethics mean values ​​and moral norms hold true for a person regulate behavior in the group. The position is where the majority understood the meaning of ethical terms that appear Islamic ethics, Buddhist ethics, Christian ethics, etc.

As the code of ethics means the principles / moral values​​. Here ethics form the basis of a professional rule that should not be violated. For example, there is a code of conduct, employees, medical etc.

Ethics as moral philosophy. This is where the ethical position as a science rather than as a doctrine. Ahmad Amin defines ethics as the science that explains the meaning of good and bad to explain what should be done by some other human, stating goals that must be addressed by humans in their actions and point the way to do what must be done.[7]

Differences

In general, the word ethics is defined as the science. According to KBBI 2008, Ethics is the science of what is good and what is bad and about the rights and obligations of moral or character. Ethics is a philosophy of values​​, ethics of good and evil. Ethics as a branch of philosophy that studies human behavior to determine the value of good and bad deeds, the measure used is the mind. Mind determines whether human actions are good or bad. If moral and ethical by comparison, moral is more practical, ethics is theoretical. Moral is local, and ethics is general (regional).

Akhlaq of the foregoing, in contrast to the moral and ethical. The difference can be seen, especially from a source that determines what is good and what is bad. The good in everything that akhlaq is useful, in accordance with the values ​​and religious norms, values ​​and norms contained in the society, benefit yourself and others. The bad is anything that is not useful, not according to the norms and values ​​of religion and society, society and self-harm. And who determines good or bad an attitude (character) who gave birth to human behavior or actions in Islam are the Quran and explained and developed by the Sunnah of the Prophet.[8]

While that determines good or bad, in morals and ethics, is customary, tradition, and the human mind in society somewhere in the future. Therefore, viewed from the source, akhlaq is fixed and valid for all time, was moral and ethical and valid for a certain period at a particular place anyway. Consequently, Akhlaq is absolute, moral and ethical being relatively (relative).

The difference in terms of character, morals and ethics that have been outlined needs to be understood in order to distinguish the nature and content of character, morals and ethics. In today's society, these terms are synonymous and used alternately to indicate something is good or bad. And for more details about the differences in these three terms, the authors describe in the following table:

Source

Content

Character

Morals

Culture & tradition

Learned sayings good & evil

Relative-practice

Ethics

Reason

Science of good & evil

Relative-theory

Akhlaq

Al-Qur’an & Sunnah

all of good and evil that appreciable with moral value & religion in the society

Absolute (mutlak)

References

·Amin, Ahmad, (terj. Prof. KH. Farid Ma’ruf), Ilmu Akhlak, 1975, Bulan Bintang: Jakarta

·Bertens, K., Etika, 1993, Gramedia Pustaka Utama: Jakarta

·Djatnika, Rachmat Prof. Dr. H., Sistem Ethika Islami, 1996, Pustaka Panjimas: Jakarta

·Ma’ruf, Louis, Al-Munjid, 1975, Daar al-Masyriq: Beirut

·Nurdin, Muslim Drs. dkk. Moral dan Kognisi Islam, 1995, CV Alvabeta: Bandung

·KBBI Offline tahun 2008 Versi Digital

[1] Louis Ma’ruf, Al-Munjid, (Beirut: Daar al-Masyriq, 1975), page. 194

[2] Prof. Dr. H. Rachmat Djatnika, Sistem Ethika Islami (Pustaka Panjimas: Jakarta, 1996), page. 11-12

[3] Drs. Muslim Nurdin dkk. Moral dan Kognisi Islam (CV Alvabeta: Bandung, 1995), page 210

[4] Ibid, page 211

[5] K. Bertens, Etika, (Jakarta: Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 1993), page 5

[6] Ibid, page 35.

[7] Ahmad Amin, Ilmu Akhlak (Prof. KH. Farid Ma’ruf), (Jakarta: Bulan Bintang, 1975), page 5.

[8] Prof. Dr. H. Rachmat Djatnika, Sistem Ethika Islami (Pustaka Panjimas: Jakarta, 1996), page. 28-30