Our small group for Day 2 was a good one. Conversation was light and friendly, despite discussing some rather controversial topics. Here are some thoughts on the conversation.

The questions all discussed the idea of right and wrong versus moral and immoral. The four of us seemed to agree (at least to a degree) that morality can be thought of as a degree of right. By this I mean that many people seem to view somewhat less significant actions that they see as being less than desire to be wrong, while actions that seem to be much more significant they see as being immoral. To further explain this idea, consider the following example:
Let’s imagine that when asked if I had done the readings for class my response was yes, when in fact the truth was no. This lie would be considered wrong. We are taught this concept from an early age. Lying is wrong. I know few, if any, people who would say that this is immoral.
Now let’s imagine that I witness a murder (to continue with the idea of extremity used in this example, shall we say a quadruple murder, the victims of which included a pregnant woman and two toddler-aged children) and am asked to testify. When asked who I saw commit the murder, suppose I claim, due to some personal dislike for the man, that it was the woman’s husband and the children’s father, when in fact, I know full well it was not. I’m thinking it might be a safe assumption here to say that most people would consider this lie to be more than wrong, probably downright immoral.
Thus we see the difference (at least in my opinion): the degree of the lie (small and insignificant versus large and life altering).
Transitioning right into the next question, another possible reason for the distinction between the two uses is the level of effect each term has on the person to whom the term is applied. “Immoral” seems to carry more weight than “wrong.” I would much rather be called wrong than immoral.
All of this having been said, what makes something “immoral”? Well, that certainly seems to be an easily answered question: society. Can anyone argue that morality is not, at least largely, based on the ideals and norms that society has established for us?