In this first article of a special series I intend to make, we’ll be discussing the themes and ideas found on our first studio album.
First I’ll make a brief introduction, for the second article I’ll be making an analysis of the book and movie “A ClockWork Orange”, which was my main reference for developing the first album.
Finally for last I intend to make a track by track analysis.
As the name already suggests, “Morality’s Asylum” is a conceptual album that talks about morality and ethics in modern life.
It’s important to point out though, that I wasn’t focused on debating about the foundation behind morals and ethics, but on the application and practical side of morality, in how it is presented and imposed in modern life.
I didn’t intend to discuss what is or should be the foundation of morality. On regard to that subject, I recommend folks to check out the debate available on Youtube, featuring Sam Harris and William Lane Craig.
Where we have an atheist(Sam Harris), presenting morality almost as a science. While on the other side we have a Christian(William Lane Craig) presenting the Judaic Christian values and the concept of god as the foundation of morality.
In this debate they also dive into other important subjects for understanding the foundation of morality, such as how can morality be objective or subjective. And lastly the ontological analysis of good and evil.
Now back to the album! To develop this practical discussion of morality, I did have a clear definition of ethic, which I used as a starting point to present morality on the album.
The definition being ethic as a logical reasoning, which seeks to understand duties, solve and improve the coexistence of life.
So the tool to solve conflicts in this system is reason.
Following this line of though we arrive at the main purpose of the album, which is to present and encourage moral autonomy. While it criticizes the use of morality for political reasons, social benefits, social acceptance and the collectivistic morality.
Moral Autonomy is the genuine individualistic moral system, in which we have the individual using logical reasoning to achieve morality.
During this analysis of individualistic morality against morality as a political tool, I usually found myself going on one of two different directions on the songs.
First a more rational direction, in which the album reflects on how the political moral system works.
Second a more emotional direction, where the album reflects on the side effects of the political moral system.
To exemplify “Laws Don’t Matter” has a very rational direction, critiquing the abuse of power and how morals don’t come from the individual in modern society.
While “City Of Mirrors” has an emotional tone, reflecting on the identity crisis caused by the political use of morality.
As I said earlier I intend to do a track by track analysis in the future.
And that’s pretty much all for now! Thanks for reading! I hope to see you on the next article.
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