Is there a clear difference between right and wrong?

At first glance, one might think the answer to the question ‘Is there a clear difference between right and wrong?’ is simple. Think again. Everyone has a moral compass they choose to follow. This can be formed depending on upbringing, circumstances, friends/family or even your culture. For most people, a common basis for moral principles is generally the same. This would include things such as murder, rape, and stealing.

First, there are different lines in ethics that can be used to determine whether an action or idea is morally wrong. Fundamentally wrong, culturally wrong, and personally wrong.

Fundamentally wrong- meaning things that go against the conscience of any normal human regardless of culture (for example murder and rape). Culturally wrong - meaning only wrong by the distinction of the society around you (for example walking down the street unclothed in America). And last but not least, Personally wrong- even though it may not be determined by those around you, you still feel guilty about doing certain things. You will not be punished for it, but you still recognize it is wrong.

A different consideration is weather a diviation between right and wrong exists and who decides what the difference is?.Is it the government's laws?  They do check out as they are in place to protect us. Could it be a dependent matter? Maybe you rely on others to tell you their thoughts and act on those when in a compromising situation. Or possibly a contiencience matter? I believe this to be true. It is admirable when someone is devoted to a personal bible of right and wrong. Being dedicated to making decisions based on a pure, wholesome, set of values or established ways, if you will, is one of the most admirable qualities a person can possess.

One famous example of this ‘grey area’, if you will, is the famous trolley problem. There are many adaptations of this but the one I like to use is as follows- You are conducting a train. Up ahead there is a split in the tracks. There are five people in the cart to the right and one person in the cart to the left. In the cart on the left, is a friend, a parent, a spouse (someone you are extremely close to). If you turn to the right, you hit five strangers and kill them, if you turn to the left, you kill the person you love the most. No matter how clever you are there is no getting out of it. You must hit one or the other. Some may argue that five is more then one so in order to save more lives they would turn left and hit the one. Others can not bear the thought of losing this person, so without hesitation they choose to turn to the right. Is there really a right decision though? Think about it… either way you are still committing an act of murder , still ending someone's life, still taking them away from their families. It not a matter of doing the right thing anymore it is a object of which choice has the least amount of fallout. In other terms, a matter of conscience.

Continually, I believe in the grey area. Not everything is as simple as it seems. The distinction between what is right and what is wrong is as complicated as black holes. All you have to do, it what you think is right and you will be okay.