In the words of William Graham
Sumner, “The “right” way is the way which the ancestors used and which has been
handed down. The tradition is its own warrant. It is not held subject to
verification by experience. The notion of right is in the folkways. It is not
outside of them, of independent origin and brought to test them. In the
folkways, whatever is, is right. This is because they are traditional, and
therefore contain in themselves the authority of the ancestral ghosts. When we
come to the folkways we are at the end of our analysis.
This quote is exemplified by
Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo bases all his beliefs on his tradition
and ancestry. The tribe does certain things because in the past it has always
been done that way. The tribe kills twins finding them evil and beats still-birth
babies to rid them of evil spirits so their wives can birth healthy children
the next time. All this is seen as moral behavior to them. Okonkwo and the men in his tribe gain status
by being strong and raising good yams because that is how status was always
established by. Okonkwo on various occasions supports his behavior and urge to
fight on what the ancestors would have wanted and done. When the Christians
start bringing in their ways to the tribe, he disagrees with their actions
viewing them as “wrong”. The Christians have the same view of the tribe viewing
their actions as immoral. Both feel that one another’s beliefs are wrong. The
white men want to make the Indians do what is “right” by God, but the Indians think
they are already doing right by their traditions and ancestors.
I agree with the fact that many of
our notions of what is right come from establishments that those before us have
already laid down as foundation. But I believe that there are choices within
our morality that people can still make themselves. Today, choices of faith and
how to abide by it, is something that people differ in, but still respect
others for those differences.
