Influences on Morality

In class we discussed the impact of culture on morality. Obviously a person is influenced by their culture, and it is a strong basis for creating his or her set of morals. Growing up, we believe what our parents tell us and we live by whatever religion in which they raise us. But culture cannot be the only factor in determining morals. After we read the radio interview with C.P. Ellis, the former head of the KKK in his poor southern city, we talked about his amazing transformation from a stubborn racist to a logical thinker working with a his enemy, a black woman, in order to make a serious and positive change.

How did Ellis come to the realization that racism is wrong, and he was using black people as a scapegoat for his frustrations with powerful whites? Obviously his culture is not the answer, as his surroundings promoted racism. It is curious because it must mean that there is something profoundly natural in C.P. Ellis that told him what he was doing was morally wrong, it was just lost in all his anger. His sense of morality was dilluted and pushed back behind his desire to feel powerful and important, which he found in the KKK. It took a difficult realization that the KKK was a destructive power to trigger his morals to come forward, and change him forever.