Moral obligation is a derivative of moral consciousness, which is a derivative of recognizing our shared ground of being with the rest of humanity and life itself. The primary direction of human development is from ego-centric to "whole-centric": gradually losing the delusion of separateness which is rooted in ignorance, greed, and fear, and moving toward an all-inclusive embrace for the whole of life. When someone really "knows who they are", what exactly is it that they know? Discovery of true self is discovery of one's connection with everything and all people, and that discovery very naturally honors the well-being and suffering of others as being intimately connected with our own well-being and suffering. That recognition of true self expresses itself (in part) as moral consciousness: an understanding that our actions affect each other in ways which can produce ill or good, and that the consequences go "full circle" -- we reap what we sow. This is nothing metaphysical or magical, it's just cause-and-effect operating in subtle and complex ways which are hard to spot with simplistic analysis. So the moral consciousness comes from the most grounded kind of being there is, and moral obligation is moral consciousness applied to specific circumstances. Great question, by the way. :)

It's a thought, an idea, a philosphy. I personly do not beleive there is such a thing, that it is only taught. What's the 'right thing', the 'moral thing' for one might be horrid to another, so in reality we haven't one. We only have what we are taught, and it's up to us to act on it or not.

I do not believe we are morally obliged towards anyone or anything. I believe that each of us can choose to act in certain ways and that choice is subjective. For example, I choose to treat others with courtesy until or unless they show discourtesy to me. I am not morally obliged to do this... it is simply my choice and preference. We also may choose to do things for or against a cause or any other situation. I choose to try to make things better for the Rromani people. This is my choice, not my moral obligation.

Your moral obligation to others depends on your world view. If your world view is individualistic and egocentric, you are less likely to feel moral obligation than someone who believes that they are part of a bigger whole. I spoke to someone of a particular belief once about their attitude to the poor. They said that, according to their belief, someone was born that way and that was the way they were meant to be. When I asked if they would feel any obligation to help the person, they said that they might, and if they did, it was only because it was ordained that they would. This was very different from my own view, which says that, since all people are God's creation, they are precious and deserve to be helped. Also, I do not regard it as a moral obligation but more as a thank you to my God, who saved me with his own sacrifice on the Cross.

Put simply: knowing what is right and what is wrong in a specific circumstance...and having enough integrity to do the right thing, no matter what..

I think evolution has hadrwired us to know right from wrong. Millions of years of natural selection have molded our brains that allows us to make decisions about ethical dilemmas. There are some societies where "honor killings" are acceptable..so alot depends on your culture and upbringing and education.

Moral obligation, to treat everyone as I would want to be treated..golden rule..other than that..to not cause harm or hurt to others..and try to make things a little better than I found them before I leave the big rock..:)