Altered Morality

When comparing two societies, or even two groups within a society, it is almost always evident that morality is not a universally identical concept. Examining two different religious groups may produce two different views on euthanasia or homosexuality or monogamy. Examining two governments will produce two different views on the morality or immorality of substance use and abuse. Regardless of what, exactly, the differences between two groups are, the important point is that the difference will, in fact, exist.
Morals are not universal. Individuals create a personal systems of ethics based on many different factors and the result of the effect these factors have will almost certainly never be identical in two individuals. Generally, religion is a major contributor to one’s moral beliefs. Yet, even two devout Roman Catholics will find their morality diverging on certain topics. Such things as media, culture, peers, and parental influence will also shape and mold one’s morality throughout a lifetime.
Thus, I believe that there is no situation in which one is “beyond morality” because there is no universal minimum for ethical behavior. Regardless of circumstance, it is possible to make decisions based on what one, in a particular context, can define as moral. In creating a definition of morality, a society or individual must consider many issues, such as the needs of the greater society, the risk of inaction versus the consequences of action, and the particular qualities that are considered to be most valuable to said society. This consideration can be done in any circumstance and, therefore, any circumstance can be considered to have a moral code applicable to it.
This concept can easily be placed into and proved by the context of the world created by Octavia Butler in Lilith’s Brood. In a situation such as Akin and Lilith’s novel world, morals must be redefined accordingly. In Lilith’s Brood, there are two major divisions within the sphere of intelligent life on planet Earth: Oankali/Human/Construct society (henceforth to be referred to simply as Construct society)and Resister society. These two groups have very different needs, consequences, risks, and value very different things.
Consruct society is a stable world. The ship-being provides sustenance, most resisters are fearful of invading or raiding a Construct village directly, and illness or injury, if it occurs, is easily cured if an ooloi can reached the injured party fairly quickly. Any visitor or invader to the village is easily identified and, usually, not much of a threat. In this case, morality is much more clear-cut. The society is well aware of what it values, namely the elimination of pain, disease, and the human contradiction. The society has clear members and, due to the communal nature of the Oankali, is able to make decisions fairly unanimously and easily. This is a situation typical of most modern societies, in which a moral code can be created that applies to nearly any event which may arise.
Resister society, on the other hand, is less stable. Their food supply is less certain, dependant entirely on their ability to grow crops, gather wildlife, hunt animals, or raid other villages. Though cured of disease by the Oankali before their placement on Earth, any subsequent injuries or disease are, for all intensive purposes, incurable. An invader to their society is potentially a huge danger. Morality is, therefore, much more fluid between villages and, in many cases, even within the villages themselves. Every situation must be examined carefully and decided on in its particular context. This would be the type of circumstance that the movie Solaris would be referring to when making the claim that one was “beyond morality.” This, however, is not truly the case, because, despite the fact that decisions must be made on a nearly base by case basis, decisions can still be made morally. They need not be made rashly or selfishly, but must be made with some consideration of what will best benefit the society and what would be “right” to do in the situation. In this way, the situation is not beyond morality, but answerable to a, perhaps, different set of morals than society would have had before the end of the Earth and invasion of the Oankali.