‘It is from society and not from the individual that...

‘It is from society and not from the individual that morality derives’ (Durkheim 1974: 61). According to Emile Durkheim ‘morality begins with the membership and life of a group†¦and that society creates all moral codes, not individuals’ (Durkheim 1974: 37). He stated that an individual cannot exist without society or deny it, without denying himself. Zygmunt Bauman however disagrees and believes morality is a pre-social impulse and therefore does not originate in society. In this essay I will first explore Durkheim’s theory of morality. I will then interrogate Durkheim’s claim that moral values come from society and are solely directed towards society by examining Bauman’s critique of his theory exemplified in ‘Modernity and the†¦show more content†¦He contended that for us to become the agents of an act and therefore perform a said act, it must interest our sensibility and appear to us as desirable (1974:36). Thus Du rkheim identified obligation and desirability as the two essential characteristics of moral acts. These characteristics are never paired with individuals acting in their own egoistic interests but rather they are linked to the good of society ‘with the condition that society be always considered as being qualitatively different from the individual beings that compose it’ (1974: 37). Desirability to Durkheim meant an individual would only desire to act moral for morality’s sake as the individual did not benefit or understand the reasons he was being commanded to obey (Durkheim 1974: 45). Durkheim argued that it is impossible to desire a morality other than the one given to us by society. He continued by expressly stating that ‘to desire a morality other than that implied by nature of society is to deny the latter end, and consequently, oneself (1974:38). He explained that this ‘moral reality’ appears to us under two different aspects that must be clearly distinguished: the objective and the subjective’ (Durkheim, 1974:40). He believed that there exists a general morality common to all individuals belonging to a collectivity, even though each mind experiences moral rules differently. Durkheim referred to morality as existingShow MoreRelatedOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesdilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparent style of writing set the book apart, making it an ingenious read which invites reflexivity, criticalness and plurality of opinion from the audience. This is a book that will become a classic in organization studies. Mihaela L. Kelemen, Professor of Management Studies, KeeleRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesWeidemann-Book Credits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction