Man is a moral being, able to distinguish among right and wrong, and free to choose either. On the other hand, he finds that it is not simple to differentiate good from evil, nor is it easy to decide what is good, when it is known. In his own self there is no certain guide to the good. No moral sense leads him precisely to the right path. It is apparent that there are no unanimously accepted moral codes, for there are as many codes as cultural groups in the world. Each tribe or nation seems to have developed a code of its own, which is improper to others, or in some cases offensive to other groups. For example having a relationship before marriage is very normal in western societies while in eastern societies its offensive and strictly forbidden.
An unemotional analysis of the several moral codes leads us to the point of view of ethical relativism. A behavior cannot be judged to be good or bad in the intangible. It may be good for one cultural level and bad for another. In the earlier period, conscience was recognized with the power to differentiate between right and wrong. Nowadays, psychologists, in addition to sociologists, retain that a man’s sense of right and wrong is fashioned by the cultural atmosphere in which he has been brought up. Sense of right and wrong is only the group code which has been internalized in the individual. We are thus driven to conclude that there is no sure guide to the right and good inherent in man. In accordance with the view in Quran, man is born neither good nor bad, but with the authority and liberty to become either.
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