Where does morality come from?

[Deadlift]

When you hear about somebody killing or stealing, you automatically think and know he's doing something wrong. You can even get angry or sad because of his actions.
But how can you say something is right or wrong? What's the base in which you define the words "right" and "wrong"?
Do you think that morality is something innate, or it completely depends from our societal and cultural background?

Also, do you think that your own morality is different from your next one's (living in your exactly same environment) ?

 

[ChicagoJhawk]

Religion...

Hundreds of years ago people created religion as a means of controlling crime by making a figure of holiness and incredible powers that jusges you from up above. With every civilization at some point a figure or multiple set of figures were named to be the judges of your actions and that probably accounts for our morals today. Subconsciously we feel that a higher being is judging us which is why our instinct is to do the right thing. Since society has been built around this notion, even aethiests feel grieve or remorse for wrong actions because it has been expressed around their environment through religion that certain deeds are wrong

 

[Laraib]

If it harms someone in one way or other, it is morally bad.

 

[Deadlift]

If it harms someone in one way or other, it is morally bad.

So you think it's somewhat of a way made to protect men from pain?

 

[Legendary Saiyan]

What Chicago said.

 

[Akаsh]

To me, morality is when you start developing your brain (around 6-9th grades), around this time, you are raised to know what is right and what is wrong, and as you develop your brain this time, you begin to develop something called thinking skills, where you begin thinking independently, regardless of what others say what you must think. Its around this time when you start differentiating between right and wrong, BASED on what you have been taught and how you have been guided in your childhood by guardians/parents.
Thats why most of the time you see people with immoral attitude must have had somekind of mishap when they were brought up, sure none of us were brought as perfect human beings, but once we cross the threshold to what is considered "bad childhood" and such, is when you notice immoral behavior. So yeah, its all about how you're brought up (most of the time.)

 

[Prince Lucifer]

It's a part of our being, as sentient creatures, not only do we possess intellect but also emotion, and a sense of justice, it's human nature, I do believe divinity plays a part in this as well.

 

[Laraib]

So you think it's somewhat of a way made to protect men from pain?

Not pain specifically, but from every injustice and terror.

 

[Pukkake Pokayo]

<div class="bbWrapper">All your experience on this Earth has molded you into what you are. What you value, what you're used to/consider the norm. To keep it short. If you're born into a home where open crime is the norm. You won't see anything wrong with it and then society will give you a backhand when you're a kid/teen.<br /> <br /> It's called socialization.</div>

 

[Prince Lucifer]

Religion...

Hundreds of years ago people created religion as a means of controlling crime by making a figure of holiness and incredible powers that jusges you from up above. With every civilization at some point a figure or multiple set of figures were named to be the judges of your actions and that probably accounts for our morals today. Subconsciously we feel that a higher being is judging us which is why our instinct is to do the right thing. Since society has been built around this notion, even aethiests feel grieve or remorse for wrong actions because it has been expressed around their environment through religion that certain deeds are wrong

Any proof of such claims? Even if what you say is true, doesn't that in itself shows our ancestors had a sense of morality to create a god after their image?

 

[Your Creepy Stalker]

It's a social construct created by Humans, whether you claim it was created by Religion or not. I do not think there was any divinity in it's origin, as other animals have been seen to behave morally, whereas Religions typically claim that their God only gave morals to humans.

(And i find it insulting to Humans as a species to claim that we could only come up with rules and morals by dint of Divine Intervention, but that's a whole other can of worms.)

 

[Waindo]

Religion...

Hundreds of years ago people created religion as a means of controlling crime by making a figure of holiness and incredible powers that jusges you from up above. With every civilization at some point a figure or multiple set of figures were named to be the judges of your actions and that probably accounts for our morals today. Subconsciously we feel that a higher being is judging us which is why our instinct is to do the right thing. Since society has been built around this notion, even aethiests feel grieve or remorse for wrong actions because it has been expressed around their environment through religion that certain deeds are wrong

So you genuinely think morality comes from religion?
Every religion has it's different set of morals. Which again leads to that "divide and conquer" part. Quite peculiar huh? What an insitution of morals religions are.

Morality/laws of morals are mankind's creations; ergo they're on "all fours" along with the laws of science --> generalizations from experience. In fact, morality existed long before it was described and defined in theory.

We didn't first discover the laws of physiology in order to comprehend our need for eating or breathing, our need to digest food or to inhale the oxygen from our atmosphere. Nor did the rules; Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, etc., made killing and stealing wrong. Laws of morals make explicit in theory what is implicit in fact. It's the fact that creates the rule; not vice - versa.

 

[Prince Lucifer]

It's a social construct created by Humans, whether you claim it was created by Religion or not. I do not think there was any divinity in it's origin, as other animals have been seen to behave morally, whereas Religions typically claim that their God only gave morals to humans.

(And i find it insulting to Humans as a species to claim that we could only come up with rules and morals by dint of Divine Intervention, but that's a whole other can of worms.)

I know right, a mom telling a son not to steal is so insulting as a species of intellectual creatures!

 

[ComplexCity]

If it harms someone in one way or other, it is morally bad.

So self defense is morally harmful?



Another note: I want someone to tell me how we knew what was moral and immoral when this social construct was created

 

[Your Creepy Stalker]

I know right, a mom telling a son not to steal is so insulting as a species of intellectual creatures!

Thats not what i meant, and you know it. I said "Divine Intervention", and unless i'm very much mistaken, that does not apply to your mother.

*Insert Yo Momma Joke Here*

 

[Prince Lucifer]

Thats not what i meant, and you know it. I said "Divine Intervention", and unless i'm very much mistaken, that does not apply to your mother.

*Insert Yo Momma Joke Here*

My point is, it is not insulting to receive instructions, we all live by instructions if you think about it, don't kill, don't steal, don't drive beyond the speed limit, Don't say nothing about our mom, brother..

 

[ComplexCity]

It's a social construct created by Humans, whether you claim it was created by Religion or not. I do not think there was any divinity in it's origin, as other animals have been seen to behave morally, whereas Religions typically claim that their God only gave morals to humans.

(And i find it insulting to Humans as a species to claim that we could only come up with rules and morals by dint of Divine Intervention, but that's a whole other can of worms.)

So essentially what your saying, that we taught animals our social construct even though some animals don't interact with humans?

 

[Alfred Pennyworth]

I have no proof, but I believe it's both a result of socialization and evolution. At a certain point in time, morality was defined based on the consequences of certain actions, the impact on both individuals and their tribes. Actions that bring more benefits were considered good and those that causes more harm bad (self-preservation was still prioritized).

Those who both respected the moral codes (might be associated with religion) and developed the ability to independently evaluate right and wrong survived in natural selection. So in modern times, the ability to moralize is innate in humans, while those moral codes had been developed to today's level of sophistication and diversity

 

[Your Creepy Stalker]

So essentially what your saying, that we taught animals our social construct even though some animals don't interact with humans?

No, i'm saying that Humans and animals both had the capacity to come up with something simple like Morality. Guess i could have phrased that better.

 

[ComplexCity]

No, i'm saying that Humans and animals both had the capacity to come up with something simple like Morality. Guess i could have phrased that better.

First you said morality is social construct created by humans. Can you prove animals have the ability to do such a thing?