If you don't believe in judgement, where are the ethics coming from?

Desert Snake · Sep 11, 2015

What's the point of ethics. If one doesn't believe in judgement, ie, is some type of materialist. And I don't mean societal norms, or such, I mean, actual ethics that could be outside of any effect on your daily activities.

Sees · Sep 11, 2015

Personally, I don't believe in putting thought and effort towards doing right, virtuous, wholesome, honorable things for fear of judgment/punishment but rather the reward those things bring regardless of perception or appreciation.

Does that fit?

I'm not a materialist but I know some go by similar thoughts.

Desert Snake · Sep 11, 2015

Sure. it partly fits. But it doesn't quite answer the question as to where the ethics are literally coming from. I believe that the counterpoint to 'bad' actions, is good actions, but without a non-materialistic basis for ''good' actions, I'm not sure they are even existant or defined.

Sees · Sep 11, 2015

Culture and religion are usually intertwined and often function similarly when speaking of them separately. Not believing in the "religious parts" doesn't really remove a modern day materialist from the rest. That's one aspect of it. Another is simply observing the results of your actions and how your behavior tends to effect your life and the life of others around you.

We also have instinctive aversions and drives related to ethical behavior.

NightDreamer · Sep 11, 2015

I choose to be good.

Ethics is about choice, I choose to help others because I would want the same done to me.

Aupmanyav · Sep 11, 2015

Requirements of the society.

Father Heathen · Sep 11, 2015

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." -Einstein

Real morals and ethics develop from our reason, compassion, honor, dignity, integrity, empathy and sense of self-worth. It's an innate aspect of our humanity. Also, humans are social animals, so we naturally develop rules regarding interactions.

sojourner · Sep 11, 2015

I was gonna say much the same thing, but F.H. beat me to it.

Lousy Heathen!

Iti oj · Sep 11, 2015

moral consequentialism with a focus on suffering and the gold rule. Its about creating a better world not avoiding judgment.

Nakosis · Sep 11, 2015

You mean morals? Ethics are just codes of conduct we agree to because we feel they are mutually beneficial.

Morals come from our feelings. Some behaviors we feel good about and some we feel bad about. There is a commonality among humans because I think there is a genetics influence. We kind of "inherited" a lot of our personality traits but there is enough genetic drift that some folks are born with, lets call them, non-social behavior.

Same is true of religious folks. They feel strongly about their religious morals because of the personality traits they were born with. Some folks in the middle east feel it's morally ok to chop off others folks heads for religious reasons. They are all mostly working with the same gene pool.

Some people I think are more flexible in their morality than others. I'm sure they like to think they are more progressive, but that maybe just another inherited personality trait.

So I guess morality is basically built into our DNA.

Unveiled Artist · Sep 11, 2015

How are our ethics based on the need for judgement? We have responsibility to do things according to our ethics If it is outside of our ethics and is not a harm to anyone and to oneself, then we naturally may suffer the consequences of our actions. That's the only judgement I can think of is receiving retribution for bad acts and needing merits and offerings to bring about good merit to balance our karma.

Other than that, how are they related?

George-ananda · Sep 11, 2015

If you don't believe in judgement, where are the ethics coming from?

For me it is the will to be happy. In my thinking, ultimate happiness comes from behavior in accordance with the nature of my Higher Self which is love and oneness with all.

But I think you were directing this question more at materialists (which I am not).

Milton Platt · Sep 11, 2015

Society does impose judgement on behavior. Concepts of what is good and what is bad are constructed by the society in which you live.
That's why what is considered good or bad can vary from place to place. Yes, some bad things, like murder, are universal (but we still murder and just call it something else, don't we?). The universality comes from the fact that Murder is easily seen by al societies as having a detrimental effect on those in the society.

Just had another thought....are you trying to go for objective morality

Twilight Hue · Sep 11, 2015

I think ethics stems from our natural ability to see and relate based on what we ourselves experience. Like the saying for one to go out and walk in another's shoes for a bit.

arthra · Sep 11, 2015

I'm unsure what you mean...? Are you referring to Judgement Day? Well I believe there could be a kind of day of reckoning.. a day when whatever you've been doing will be decisively dealt with and you will be held accountable. Of course this could come about in different ways depending on the individual. Near the end of life people tend to think back and ruminate about what they have done...We can be very hard on ourselves..even more so than someone else reviewing the same actions...

dust1n · Sep 11, 2015

By judgment, I'm assuming you mean the endtime judgment? As in God determines what afterlife I go to? I'll assume so.

So, what's the point of ethics. Well we all exist on the Earth, and we would love to find the perfect means to dispense justice and equity on the world. This has been an urgent focus for humanity collectively since basically... humanity started. The fact that these questions aren't easily settled by an imaginary figure after death, doesn't mean we can just ignore the difficulty of the questions and pretend like someone after death is going to settle the matter.

columbus · Sep 11, 2015

Self interest. Extremely moral people are the most selfish people.
They can see what is most likely to result in a good life experience for themselves and do it. They are not fooled by their instincts or the teachings of other people. They are more likely to live and die happy and healthy than their less enlightened fellows.

Doesn't matter whether there is a post humus judgement or not. And nobody knows what, if anything, any divine power might want or do. S/he is just as likely to reward murder and rape as anything, if Creation is any indication.
Tom

Curious George · Sep 12, 2015

Internal consistency.

1137 · Sep 12, 2015

There's may not be judgement but there are cause and effect. Actions have consequences in the real world and can be judged by those consequences.

Looncall · Sep 12, 2015

This silly notion of no morality without religion is just part of the big scam. It helps to keep pews and collection plates full.

If you don't believe in judgement, where are the ethics coming from?

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