You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org Forums Miscellany Where does morality come from? Register Forums Calendar Active Threads Search Forum Help

Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread Page 1 of 10 1 2 3 … 9 10 #210554 - 04/22/13 02:23 AM Where does morality come from?   Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Jackie Jackie   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 11,613 Louisville, Kentucky We had a lively discussion at lunch today about morality. One person maintained that morality comes from a Higher Power, for lack of a better term, and that if you're not religious you don't have morality, you just go by what's "right" or "wrong" according to the laws of whatever society you live in. I maintain that an atheist can have morals. I would love to read your-all's thoughts on this, if we can do it without getting into whether or not there is a Higher Power (of whatever name) or judging the various religions. #210563 - 04/22/13 10:33 AM Re: Where does morality come from? [Re: Jackie]   Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Morality is a trait of any successful social species. Without morality it would be impossible for that species to survive. If there's a higher power involved that higher power is natural selection. #210567 - 04/22/13 02:18 PM Re: Where does morality come from? [Re: Jackie]   Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh I maintain that an atheist can have morals. I've never bought the "only the religious have morals", which in my experience means those whose religion is closest to the speaker's. I think all humans have morals (just step on somebody's toe or reach into another person's shopping cart at a store and remove an item for yourself). And, what one's ethical system is a mishmash of the traditional plus the idiosyncratic. As to its origins, like many things, it comes from the individuals who make up the societal group. Ceci n'est pas un seing. #210573 - 04/22/13 04:42 PM Re: Where does morality come from? [Re: Faldage]   Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 jenny jenny veteran jenny jenny   veteran Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi Originally Posted By: Faldage Morality is a trait of any successful social species. Without morality it would be impossible for that species to survive. If there's a higher power involved that higher power is natural selection. Yes, but not exactly. Morals are but an aspect of the mechanics of evolution. A Higher Power is needed to effect a Creation to put the billiard balls in motion. #210574 - 04/22/13 05:56 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: jenny jenny]   Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 zmjezhd Carpal Tunnel zmjezhd   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 3,290 R'lyeh A Higher Power is needed to effect a Creation to put the billiard balls in motion. Ah, deity qua big bang. Ceci n'est pas un seing. #210575 - 04/22/13 06:12 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: jenny jenny]   Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Originally Posted By: jenny jenny Originally Posted By: Faldage Morality is a trait of any successful social species. Without morality it would be impossible for that species to survive. If there's a higher power involved that higher power is natural selection. A Higher Power is needed to effect a Creation to put the billiard balls in motion. Too many capitals in that sentence. formerly known as etaoin... #210576 - 04/22/13 06:49 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]   Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 BranShea Carpal Tunnel BranShea   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,295 Netherlands, the Hague Morality is, morals are the principles that maintain in or bring into equilibrium the interests of the individual with the interests of a group/ society. I think it comes from our hunting, gathering, cave dwelling past. How to fight and compromise over territory and bone. From rudeness to refinement. Who's the expert in the does and don'ts of our prehistory? #210577 - 04/22/13 08:12 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: BranShea]   Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 jenny jenny veteran jenny jenny   veteran Joined: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,554 Lower Aberdeen, Mississippi Clearly said BranShea. And buffalo, if you can't capitalize THE Creation how can you justify capitalizing Walmart or Chicago or Obama or Sin? #210582 - 04/22/13 11:33 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: BranShea]   Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Originally Posted By: BranShea I think it comes from our hunting, gathering, cave dwelling past. If we didn't have morals to start with we would never have made it that far. #210583 - 04/22/13 11:44 PM Re: bootstrapping quidditas ipsa [Re: jenny jenny]   Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Buffalo Shrdlu Carpal Tunnel Buffalo Shrdlu   Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jun 2002 Posts: 7,210 Vermont Originally Posted By: jenny jenny And buffalo, if you can't capitalize THE Creation how can you justify capitalizing Walmart or Chicago or Obama or Sin? Well, three out of four are what they call themselves, so who am I to say? I don't know anybody named Sin. formerly known as etaoin... Page 1 of 10 1 2 3 … 9 10 Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------   Information and announcements   Q&A about words   Wordplay and fun   Words and languages in schools   Miscellany   Weekly Themes   Looking for (writers, speakers, ...) (Old) Weekly themes. (have been consolidated into a single forum above) ------   Words from medicine   Beheading words   Meta-words   Words from classical mythology   Animal Safari   Words with unusual etymologies   Eponyms or words derived from people's names.   Loanwords from German   English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode View Profile Send Private Message Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts View Profile Send Private Message View Homepage Follow User Show Forum Posts Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,878 Posts223,914 Members9,019 Most Online3,341 Dec 9th, 2011 Newest Members Rogerdoctor, SquareDonut, WonderW, Trailjohn, Reddit 9019 Registered Users Who's Online Now 0 registered members (), 52 guests, and 4 spiders. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 36 LukeJavan8 13 Top Posters(All Time) wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 tsuwm 10,538 LukeJavan8 8,975 wofahulicodoc 7,494 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

Default Style BlackNTan Drab eBay GooG v2 infopop new dark new light original dark original stock rounded corners Slate snow sunny dropshadow theblues Touch Of Grey UBB.threads UBB.threads - Dark UBB.threads - Light UBBCentral UBBCentral - Crimson UBBCentral - Lime UBBCentral - Marshmallow UBBCentral - Mocha UBBCentral - Zen ubbthreads ubbthreads-dark show/hide columns on this page Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top