Imagine that there are two trees, one represents what is good and the other what is evil. These trees have many branches, nearly an infinity of limbs to climb on, but the crazy thing is - these trees branches overlap. In fact, in some places they can be a densely interwoven tapestry. This structure is massive.
Now add a squirrel, this is me and you. We find ourselves living in the tapestry of good and evil and we must somehow navigate it - food and shelter being worthy concerns.
Here's the kicker, the branches of the evil tree are smooth yet all of its tissues contain slow release poison to protect itself from the good tree. The good tree looks more coarse, but its fruit is highly nutritious. The good tree protects itself by pushing the evil tree out of an area and seeks to grow new branches in the spot.
To this squirrel, the smooth branch might feel good to be on at first, but give it enough time and it will regret ever having taken that step. Whereas the coarse branch may be a little rough to climb on, but if you keep on following it then you will get to grab some good fruit.
To the lonely squirrel, not much of this is obvious; all it knows is that it is living in the canopy of two massive trees and must navigate its life through all this.
Now here is where morality comes in. There are some areas of the canopy that have more good tree, evil tree, a genuine mix, and some areas yet where it is hard to tell them apart. The squirrel could endless go around the canopy and explore, but it would likely die before too long if it doesn't know where to get the nourishing fruit or if it unknowingly spends too much time on certain branches getting poisoned.
Morality is a system for navigating this canopy. As you can imagine, there would be many possible ways that a squirrel could piece something together and try to figure out a system. Some of these systems would have many good parts, but others would inevitably contain some time on evil branches.
These best way to get a good map is to receive it from someone with a bird's eye view, a higher power if you will. This makes the exploration much more efficient and improves the odds that you actually survive to use what you have learned. What good is the quest for exploration if the squirrel dies before it gets to see how immense the canopy is?
A higher power that gives a moral system would clearly value life, if that system lead people to the fruit on the good tree. But why have the evil tree in the first place; if a higher power wanted life then why include death in the picture?
The answer is simple yet its implications complex: its so that we can choose to be alive. Think about it, what good is an existence where there is no option other that living in the good tree and blissfully eating its fruit. Sure it might live a long while in good health, but that would be like mindlessly playing a harp on a cloud.
When you have a genuine choice, and the capacity to make it (free will), then that is where you can gain the wisdom of learning from experience.
When have you felt the most alive? Was it when you were couched out and watching Netflix? Or was it when you were out doing something that you loved? Blindly and routly doing one's hobby does not make for inspiring moments, but choosing to do it because it breaths life into you - that does. Similarly to the morality tree, choosing to be alive makes for a much better existence.
Perhaps a practical way to judge a system or action as being moral or immoral is: does this breathe life or death? Does forgiving someone of an offense breathe life into the people involved? Does an honor killing breathe death?
How will you use this question?
Very beautifully written, thanks for sharing!
Thank you!