Basis for Morality

[Tanais]

Some earlier threads got me interested in the basis for morality. I was wondering on what do some people account for the existence of an objective moral law. I realize most in here would accept the theistic approach, but as of now I am interested in any non-theistic approaches. If someone, preferably atheist giving an atheistic explanation (a humanist giving a humanist explanation) etc., could give me their explanation for an objective moral law, and do it with some charity. I will try to maintain charity as well and I pray whoever else post will do the same, but that doesn’t mean we cannot apply honest scrutiny. Thanks!

 

[otm]

Morality is closely aligned with ethics, which is a philosophical study. You might try looking there. And interestingly, much could be extracted from psychology, as our psychological makeup on the whole, runs true to nature.

 

[Vincent]

There’s some debate about this, but I think it’s possible to ground ethics in the universal truths about human nature (Natural Law) without necessarily bringing God into the picture.

I recall reading Charles Rice’s book on Natural Law in which he takes the opposite view. Recent Catholic-convert J. Budziszewski deals with this perspective in “The Second Tablet Project”.

 

[Apologia100]

Any attempt to elicit a discussion on an objective moral truth without an objective source will fail, because it becomes a matter for personal observation and astute arguementation. In essence, if your moral objectivity is not grounded in God, it becomes dependent on your own personal ability to make the case, i.e. moral relativism, ala Peter Singer.

 

[AnAtheist]

I have laid all this in length before, but for a start I summarise my views as follows:
Humans can only survive in societies. To keep a society functioning, rules are necessary. Thus morality has evolved.
Furthermore humans have instincts that force them into acting a certain way (to a certain degree), like having a mental barrier to kill each other off.

“Objective” morals (if there is such a thing) are those that apply to any society.

Feel free to ask specific questions.

 

[Apologia100]

AnAtheist:

I have laid all this in length before, but for a start I summarise my views as follows:
Humans can only survive in societies. To keep a society functioning, rules are necessary. Thus morality has evolved.
Furthermore humans have instincts that force them into acting a certain way (to a certain degree), like having a mental barrier to kill each other off.

“Objective” morals (if there is such a thing) are those that apply to any society.

Feel free to ask specific questions.

No questions are needed, you just proved my point.

 

[otm]

Apologia100:

Any attempt to elicit a discussion on an objective moral truth without an objective source will fail, because it becomes a matter for personal observation and astute arguementation. In essence, if your moral objectivity is not grounded in God, it becomes dependent on your own personal ability to make the case, i.e. moral relativism, ala Peter Singer.

Your own personal ability to make the case does not necesarily end in moral relativism; you have missed several thousand years of the philosophy of ethics.

Furthermore, your comment about “personal observation” sounds in relativism. Are you really saying that there can be no agreement on observation? That truly is a relativistic statement. It also flies in the face of any scientific approach to research in the area of psychology.

 

[AnAtheist]

Apologia100:

Any attempt to elicit a discussion on an objective moral truth without an objective source will fail, because it becomes a matter for personal observation and astute arguementation. In essence, if your moral objectivity is not grounded in God, it becomes dependent on your own personal ability to make the case, i.e. moral relativism, ala Peter Singer.

Hm, yes. But what if someone’s morals are based on a *different *god than yours?

 

[RobedWithLight]

AnAtheist:

I have laid all this in length before, but for a start I summarise my views as follows:
Humans can only survive in societies. To keep a society functioning, rules are necessary. Thus morality has evolved.
Furthermore humans have instincts that force them into acting a certain way (to a certain degree), like having a mental barrier to kill each other off.

“Objective” morals (if there is such a thing) are those that apply to any society.

Feel free to ask specific questions.

Do you believe that an objective moral standard** can** exist?

If you do, can you give us one specific example of objective morals that apply to any society?

Gerry