Where Do Your Morals Come From?

[Justice and Mercy]

Well, I just don't get it. People just seem to make arbitrary choices as far as morality goes.

So tell me, what is the basis of your morality system?

And don't just say "the greater good lol", be more specific.

[Axeman]

My gut is basically the best I can explain it, I judge the situation based on circumstances.

[Justice and Mercy]

My gut is basically the best I can explain it, I judge the situation based on circumstances.

Your gut?

Huh.

Interesting.

As I said, arbitrary.

[Amorphos]

trial and error as much as anything and that is more or less how they are arrived at in their origins.

later in life i started thinking about what ethics are specific and what are universal ~ havent quite found the answer yet.

basically anything that doesnt get you a punch in the mouth is ok well aside from dumbasses who think they are right but just cant think.

[Justice and Mercy]

trial and error as much as anything and that is more or less how they are arrived at in their origins.

later in life i started thinking about what ethics are specific and what are universal ~ havent quite found the answer yet.

basically anything that doesnt get you a punch in the mouth is ok well aside from dumbasses who think they are right but just cant think.

That doesn't even seem like an answer.

"Trial and error".

There can only be an error if there's an end you believe should come of the trial.

I'll make it simpler: What's right, and what's wrong?

[LSJ]

Like almost everyone else's, my morals are from what I was taught is right and wrong as a child. I get my morals from my parents and the society in which I was raised. My society and parent's morals are rooted in Christian Britain and France. And the French/British/Christian morals originate from the era of the early humans. Essentially, killing = bad. Stealing = bad. Treat people kindly. Etcetera.

As Christianity's morals are evolved from the early people, so are mine from my parent's. I have slightly different views on what rights people should have, and how we as a society must treat everyone. But it is still very much a reflection of what I was taught.

[Kritias]

Well, morals come from:

1. Your family. First and foremost you follow the literally "House Rules" you have learned when you were a kid.
2. From what you have seen in your social relations etc. Habit and mimics are also important factors (ever done a gesture like giving your seat in the bus to the elderly out of habit or because you have seen someone else do it the bus stop before?).
3. Religious education: what you have learn that its right from school etc.
4. From your own understanding. For example, some people choose to follow some morals while scorn others.
5. From our desire to be liked by others: As a rule, You will be polite etc because you want the others to like you.

[Justice and Mercy]

Well, morals come from:

1. Your family. First and foremost you follow the literally "House Rules" you have learned when you were a kid.

I don't agree.

2. From what you have seen in your social relations etc. Habit and mimics are also important factors (ever done a gesture like giving your seat in the bus to the elderly out of habit or because you have seen someone else do it the bus stop before?).

I don't agree.

3. Religious education: what you have learn that its right from school etc.

I don't agree.

4. From your own understanding. For example, some people choose to follow some morals while scorn others.

I don't agree.
...

Explain.

5. From our desire to be liked by others: As a rule, You will be polite etc because you want the others to like you.

I don't agree.

[Amorphos]

j & m

That doesn’t even seem like an answer.
“Trial and error”.
There can only be an error if there’s an end you believe should come of the trial.

not really, you do stuff then someone thinks it is wrong and questions you, then you reflect upon that. throughout our lives this is the basic relationship between parent and child.

I’ll make it simpler: What’s right, and what’s wrong?

it nearly always depends upon the context e.g. it is wrong to kill but soldiers do it. rape is wrong without question, hmm perhaps if there were only two people left in the world one male, one female, but the female didn’t fancy the male, then it may be ok to rape her to propogate the species. however if things got that bad perhaps it is wrong to continue, unless e.g. the penultimate end of humanity came via disease?

[kev-o]

5. From our desire to be liked by others: As a rule, You will be polite etc because you want the others to like you.

Not really. The golden rule is one of the core ideas of morality. Treat others as you would like to be treated.

[Kritias]

That's a braindead way of doing it, yes.

Well, you asked from where do morals come from. If you have a better explanation, please share it with me!

Explain.

Are all people honest? Isn't though honesty considered as a moral virtue? One can be nice, he can be polite and in the same time the biggest liar alive. He is a liar because he has understood that being dishonest can get him out of serious situations etc...

[Justice and Mercy]

not really, you do stuff then someone thinks it is wrong and questions you, then you reflect upon that. throughout our lives this is the basic relationship between parent and child.

And how does that help to define what "wrong" is?

In order for something to be considered wrong, you must first have a definition of what constitutes as wrong.

[Amorphos]

And how does that help to define what “wrong” is?

it just lessons learned, life is a legacy and knowledge gets past down.

but i get your point it doesn’t define it. :hmmm:

to define it you must take certain situations and resolve them. for that we need examples of what you are looking for otherwise the topic is way to open.

[Justice and Mercy]

it just lessons learned, life is a legacy and knowledge gets past down.

but i get your point it doesn’t define it. :hmmm:

to define it you must take certain situations and resolve them. for that we need examples of what you are looking for otherwise the topic is way to open.

It HAS to be open. Don't you see that judging cases on nothing more than gut leads to inconsistencies? You MUST, before you judge the situation, judge what morality itself is.

That's what I want to know.

EDIT: Err, not incoherencies... inconsistencies... though I suppose either works.

[Kritias]

In order for something to be considered wrong, you must first have a definition of what constitutes as wrong.

Right and wrong are already defined by the society you live in... Thats why we now talk of morality ie the code of conduct that is authoritative in matters of right and wrong.

[Justice and Mercy]

Right and wrong are already defined by the society you live in... Thats why we now talk of morality ie the code of conduct that is authoritative in matters of right and wrong.

Once again, only if you're braindead.

Society is constantly wrong, and as far as morality goes, society has no truly coherent answer.

I don't define right and wrong a certain way because society does it, I don't care what society thinks. What you're saying is the very definition of a lockstep zombie attitude.

[Kritias]

First of all, morality is a convention between the people living in it so that they can keep on living together as peacefully as possible. If you trash what your society has defined as good, you will either be isolated from the rest of the world or punished for breaking rules(that are based in morality codes). For example, while I may not recognize killing another person as wrong, I will end up in jail if I do kill someone. If anyone did what they wanted, society would collapse. As simple as that...

[Amorphos]

It HAS to be open. Don’t you see that judging cases on nothing more than gut leads to inconsistencies? You MUST, before you judge the situation, judge what morality itself is.
That’s what I want to know.

i see. i think that is the point, we don’t know what morality is, in fact there is nothing ...that it is we make it up as we go along.

in short morals have no basis.

if you think this is wrong please give us an example of what you think it is?

please dont refer to people as braindead in any way ~ it is wrong

see what i mean!

[Gary88]

do as you would be done by.

we live in a society and it protects some of our most important freedoms and rights, as such my moral choices are partly based on what actions are permitable in that society.
i.e i don't steal things beacause if everyone just took what they wanted life would be hellish and society wouldn't work.

the other part is the 'inate' part, which is a mixture of nurture and genetics.

[Lord Rahl]

Everyone's morality is based upon two things,

1) Their upbringing (the family): this can include religion, personal manners, morals, and mostly specific personal behaviors. Parents have a huge influence.

2) Society: the social structure outside of your upbringing has a major influence as well. Society will teach you how to act with groups of people. The social norms of the day will tell you what is right and wrong.