Morals Again.

[Theland]

Before we carried away, could we establish the necessity, or otherwise, of Moral laws to help us exist peacefully with each other?

Fine if you agree. Fine if you don't.

[Calicogirl]

Moral law tends to be a very human and automatic thing. If you ask most people from most backgrounds they will tell you that killing other people is wrong, stealing is wrong etc, that's because back in the day humans tried other ways and found a lot of people ended up dead or minus their hard worked for goats :/

[retrocop]

Goats or Groats? :-)

[Canary42]

The problem with morals is that usually those who preach them have two sets, one for themselves, and one for everybody else (the Pope is a fine example, together with most politicians and religious leaders)

[Calicogirl]

Well either, but I was going with goats ( thinking of very early society Retro) x

[Theland]

Canary - I agree.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Disagree: certain types of behaviour - I would call them moral instincts - are a precondition of our existing at all.

[Mamyalynne]

Existing peacefully and acting morally are something that has always come easily to me and I assumed most people.

The older I get and tonight has evidenced this to me , some turn it on and off like a tap.

[Theland]

So do you think that there is a moral instinct within us, or are we just obeying a law, like a speed limit?

[vetuste_ennemi]

//So do you think that there is a moral instinct within us, or are we just obeying a law, like a speed limit?//

Mammals with long incubation periods and difficulties in childbirth (e.g. US) wouldn't have lasted without the instinct to care for the motherapproaching and at the moment of parturition.

Mammals who need to hunt when there's not much to gather will not as individual families do very well when their food supply has four legs, can run faster and has a powerful kick. That's why our ancestors formed packs in order to act collaboratively.

[vetuste_ennemi]

The forming of the pack being the instinctive behaviour, not something waiting for a bloke going up a mountain and coming down the mountain with a "law" saying: "Thou must work togethe

The "moral" bit preceded any code.

[Theland]

Vetuste - I disagree. I believe there is a distinction to be made between moral behaviour and instinct.

[naomi24]

I assume you’re saying that God endows human beings with a built-in moral code, Theland. If that’s so, is God also responsible for endowing humanity with a capacity for spitefulness?

[Theland]

Difference between imperatives as in instincts, or choices as in morals.
Does that answer? Good question btw.

[Zacs-Master]

What, exactly, are moral laws? There’s no such thing so a meaningful debate can’t happen.

[naomi24]

Theland, if morals are God given wouldn't they be instinctive? What's to think about?

[vetuste_ennemi]

I think that's said it all. Don't you?

[vetuste_ennemi]

My post was a response to Zac's Master and his (Master's, not Zac's) stunning insight.

[Zacs-Master]

Well, there are morals. And there are laws. But there is nothing in legislatures which specifically defines one entwined with t’other. If you want to be part of a debate which has no real foundations, go ahead. I’m a bit more practical.

[vetuste_ennemi]

PS:can anybody explain the "dog whistle" trope which keeps cropping up (usually as a way of smearing an opponent's argument)?

[Zacs-Master]

Merely pointing out yet another flawed premis. As I said .........