Yes, but I don't believe that we can be held accountable for them.
duo theistic god theory. One absolute evil and one absolute good.
Nope
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Objective Morals Debate (Atheists only)
- Thread starter The Sum of Awe
- Start date
Yes, but I don't believe that we can be held accountable for them.
duo theistic god theory. One absolute evil and one absolute good.
Nope
waitasec
Veteran Member
a guy wouldn't want to try to get away with murder....
Why wouldn't he? Thinking everything is good does not mean someone can't kill.
Why do you have absolute morals? What are they trying to achieve? Why do we have to achieve that if it is not an absolute goal (meaning) of life? If we don't have to achieve that goal, why do we have to follow those morals? If we don't have to follow those morals, why are they absolute?
jarofthoughts
Empirical Curmudgeon
No.
No.
I don't.
No.
I don't.
waitasec
Veteran Member
gotcha.
from what i got out of swampy was judge others favorably, like you would judge yourself.
but you're right if everyone thought everything was permissible then no one would think twice about acting out on ones initial response...like animals do.
They're inbuilt. Everyone fells that they should be treated well and that is the basis for absolute morality. Good being how you'd like to be treated and evil the opposite
The general happiness of mankind
it's the way all people deserve to be treated (equal rights). So why don't we all act on it is a better question.
Because everyone deserves to be treated in a certain way.
And why should we give people what they deserve?
It's the way everyone feels they should be treated. Denying people that is denying them equal rights/ being rude. Depending on how severe the 'crime'
Why follow the way everyone feels they should be treated? Why is it bad to be rude and deny equal rights?
Because you know that it's a way that you don't want to be treated yourself.
Why not follow a way that you don't want to be treated yourself?
You could do. It's better, for the majority, to follow a different way however.
Penumbra and Peng both gave much more sophisticated answers than I could, but they sound about right.
My gut instinct tells me that there are absolute (for humans) moral rules. Things like rape and murder and slavery are always wrong. Things like treating others kindly, helping others when you can, is always right. But due to differing definitions and cultural biases, it's hard to determine exactly what constitutes murder, etc.
In other words, yes, I think there is probably a correct way for humans to act, but that we don't exactly have the ability to know what it is all the time, and so it's best to understand that there's gonna be wiggle room in real life.
No, but that doesn't mean I think life is meaningless. Just everyone defines what is meaningful for them. My meaning to life is to be happy, to help other people be happy, and to leave the world a better place. That is what I strive for in my life. I don't think I need god to exist in order to have that meaning.Sum of Awe said:
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But why is rape and murder any worse than Gandhi?
Morality is about our responsibility to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Our responsibility to others is to not cause them unreasonable harm or suffering. That's why.
Why is causing unreasonable harm or suffering bad?
That's where the "absolute" part comes in, I suppose. It just is.
I think that sentiment is present in at least most people, and particularly regarding the people they consider to be a part of their community, tribe, culture, etc. So I suppose you could make an evolutionary argument that being nice to people helps you in the long run because people therefore are more likely to be nice to you.
In other words, we don't want to be raped or murdered or forced into slavery, so not doing those things ourselves, and supporting their disapproval among our fellow man, helps make it less likely that those things will happen to us.
Why try to avoid it happening to us? Why is rape or murder to us bad?