Moral Reasoning

There are a number of ways to encode behavioral modification statements.
Here I use murder as an example of an undesired behavior.

• Moral: Killing is wrong.
• Imperative: Do not kill.
• Value-based: I value human life.
• Imperative value based: Value human life.
• Personal conviction: I will not kill.
• Appeal to compassion: Killing causes suffering.
• Creating a positive ambition: Is that what you want to be? [a murderer?]

Others:

• You have no right to kill.
• People have a right to live.
• killing is 'disadvantageous'. (this can be based on legal ramifications, possible retribution, karma, or implicit psychological harm to the murderer.)
• Killing violates the social contract.
• I need to stop killing. (Generally this is more applicable to habitual vices like smoking.)
• Killing is illegal (Note, this is distinct from the 'disadvantageous' argument, as this advocates following the law for the law's sake, where that was focused on punishment.)
• Killing is a sin.
• Killing is repulsive. (disgusting, gross)
• Killing will not solve any problems.

There are of course many, many ways to get the same message accross. It is interesting to think about which are most popular, and which are most effective.