Morality

[Contemporary Protestant]

Where does morality come from?

How is it possible?

What does it mean to be a good person?

[stromboli]

Morality is the shared understanding between members of a society that certain behaviors are allowed and others not allowed. I begins with the common sense understanding that in order for a society to function, there has to be some sense of order and some form of observed decorum among its members. Without that, the society functions less effectively. It has been observed among other species

http://www.livescience.com/24802-animals-have-morals-book.html
Until recently, scientists would have said your cat was snuggling up to you only as a means to get tasty treats. But many animals have a moral compass, and feel emotions such as love, grief, outrage and empathy, a new book argues.

The book, "Can Animals Be Moral?" (Oxford University Press, October 2012), suggests social mammals such as rats, dogs and chimpanzees can choose to be good or bad. And because they have morality, we have moral obligations to them, said author Mark Rowlands, a University of Miami philosopher.

Some research suggests animals have a sense of outrage when social codes are violated. Chimpanzees may punish other chimps for violating certain rules of the social order, said Marc Bekoff, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and co-author of "Wild Justice: The Moral Lives of Animals" (University Of Chicago Press, 2012).

Male bluebirds that catch their female partners stepping out may beat the female, said Hal Herzog, a psychologist at Western Carolina University who studies how humans think about animals.

And there are many examples of animals demonstrating ostensibly compassionate or empathetic behaviors toward other animals, including humans. In one experiment, hungry rhesus monkeys refused to electrically shock their fellow monkeys, even when it meant getting food for themselves. In another study, a female gorilla named Binti Jua rescued an unconscious 3-year-old (human) boy who had fallen into her enclosure at the Brookline Zoo in Illinois, protecting the child from other gorillas and even calling for human help. And when a car hit and injured a dog on a busy Chilean freeway several years ago, its canine compatriot dodged traffic, risking its life to drag the unconscious dog to safety.


It isn't really that difficult. If you do not provide some form of order when raising young and needing to provide for a group, tribe or society, it follows that there will be an eventual set of tacit understandings that best serve the group. And if there is no effort made to both nurture and protect, the group will notsurvive.

Morals are subjective. One culture will be based on a set of criteria that might allow murder of another group for any set of reasons, or seek harmony for others. Homosexuality has been allowed in some cultures and banned in others. Captial punishment in some, none in others. different groups with different criteria to base their morals on.

[Contemporary Protestant]

thanks, I appreciate referencing books, gives me something to expand on

[Hijiri Byakuren]

It should be noted that morals are just an extension of altruistic behaviors that have been with us since single-celled organisms began sharing resources for mutual advantage. Their development over hundreds of millions of years into pack behavior and later into our own concept of morality makes for fascinating reading and research, to be sure.

Now, if you're going to go the typical theistic route and say morals come from a deity, I'm going to point to this interesting but not particularly outstanding developmental history and say "lolno."

[Contemporary Protestant]

Well benevolence does have evolutionary benefits, so I don't intend to tie this to theism until my understanding is better

Fascinating point about cells

[The Skeletal Atheist]

Humans are social animals. We are social animals because with our relatively vulnerable physical traits working collectively was the best way for our species to propagate. In general the solitary animals you see are large apex predators at the top off their respective food chains, or small, quick herbivores. Most other animals are social to an extent; there is strength in numbers.

As social animals we have adapted several traits that are the basis for morality. Among them are empathy, altruism, sharing, conformity and other such things. These traits allow for social cohesion within the group and propagation of the species. Interestingly enough these traits weaken significantly when another individual is seen as part of the "them" rather than "us". That's why a large part of propaganda is devoted to demonizing the other side; it's much easier to kill a filthy infidel than a father of 3 children and a loving husband. Anyways those traits combined with our higher thinking capabilities allows for what we would call "morality" or "ethics". We, unlike other animals, have the ability to ponder the very nature and consequences of morality. While a chimp may act in a "moral" way towards other members of its group, I doubt it actively thinks about the moral implications of its actions, it's simply enforcing group norms. On the other hand we come up with moral philosophies to guide us, and hopefully we come up with ethics based on reason and empathy rather than what the group dictates. Being social creatures does mean that it is hard to break free of the group thinking though, so I can't blame those whose morals come from their group as long as they don't try to impose those morals on others and as long as they don't harm anyone.

[billhilly]

Morality is what it takes for a given population to get along in a given geographical area at a given time frame.  That's why it keeps changing.

[Casparov]

Where does morality come from?

How is it possible?

What does it mean to be a good person?

Morality comes from the nature of existence. We are fundamentally one being, consciousness itself, and morality comes from a deep subconscious and unconscious (but sometimes conscious) recognition of this brute fact of existence.

Being a good person is ultimately to follow The Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This becomes apparent when you realize that the others are literally you. What you do to others, you are doing to another yourself.

All of morality comes from the simple principle, "We Are All One."

[Bibliofagus]

Where does morality come from?

Most definitely not from your jebus-monstrosity.

[Bibliofagus]

Being a good person is ultimately to follow The Golden Rule, do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I'm a masochist. Does this mean I get to hurt people who aren't?

[Bibliofagus]

What does it mean to be a good person?

Confronting your immoral beliefs instead of sticking your head in the sand would be a good start.

[Johan]

I don't intend to tie this to theism until my understanding is better

Your intent is wrong.

[Mermaid]

Where do you think YOUR sense of morality comes from, CP? It has always struck me as alarming when people claim that their morality comes from the Bible, the Torah, the Quran, or whatever religious text they currently follow, as they are "life instructions".

It strikes me because it implies that without this set of moral instructions, people would just commit "immoral" acts because they wouldn't get caught. I realize this may be offensive to you, as well as simplistic, and that is not my intent, but it's a concept I've always found interesting.

[Contemporary Protestant]

Mermaid - I think everyone inherently knows right from wrong, for example children (as young as 3) know that lying and stealing is bad, dogs even hide when they do something wrong. Despite this inherent sense of good, people choose evil. The bible isn't the source of my morality, however it does help me understand my faith better.

Everyone - For future reference, I will not acknowledge ad hominem attacks, if you disagree with me, fine, but that doesn't give you the right to call me an idiot

[Bibliofagus]

Mermaid - I think everyone inherently knows right from wrong, for example children (as young as 3) know that lying and stealing is bad, dogs even hide when they do something wrong.

Lying is wrong? My grandfather lied to the nazi's when they came and asked him if he knew where the were jews hiding in the neighborhood. Good thing he didn't do the christian thing, at least, that's what I think.

Despite this inherent sense of good, people choose evil.

In World War 2 many german christians believed they were doing good by killing 6 million jews.

The bible isn't the source of my morality, however it does help me understand my faith better.

Good. How do you deal with the obviously immoral stuff your bible tells you to believe? Like it's core message that only people who believe in your jebus go to heaven?

Everyone - For future reference, I will not acknowledge ad hominem attacks, if you disagree with me, fine, but that doesn't give you the right to call me an idiot

I was talking about your jebus-monstrosity and his unholy book. Not about you. But you are not stupid, you already knew this.