Unlike any other creature, I know right from wrong. Why are we alone in this knowledge?

Question

In all the hundreds of millions of years that species have had to evolve, why have none evolved to have a conscience and knowledge of right and wrong? Why are we so rare among all the creatures that have ever lived? Call it God or call it conscience, but something "speaks" to me every time I have to choose between doing something right or wrong! Whether it is God or conscience, why isn't it as common among other species as eyes, brains or a digestive system? Why only mankind?

When the instinctive and/or learned actions of animals resemble human actions or emotions, we are quick to ascribe human qualities to animals. Do your homework. Animals can be trained to do things that resemble love or intelligence. They do not have a concsience and they do not know right from wrong. Pavlov proved this. Animals react to their basic needs and do so instinctively. Just try jeapordizing one or more of your loving pet's basic needs and see what happens. It does not know right from wrong.

Mr. NeoArt: As one who teaches science, I am surprised that you believe that animals have a conscience and that they experience emotions. While they have been observed doing things that are remarkably human-like, these actions are instinct based, not emotional, and, in the case of domesticated animals, learned. There is no scientific evidence to support your statements. None. Not for dolphins, whales, dogs, cats, parrots or ants. Shame on you for perpetuating this warm-and-fuzzy myth in your classroom.

Answer 1

Do you really know right from wrong? If so, you are alone my friend. Perspective and perception are what establish right and wrong, and by changing either of these things what was completely evil could look benevolent. It is an arrogant assumption on the part of man to say, I know right from wrong, when most don't even know left from right.

Answer 2

As someone who both teaches science and one who lives among animals (both human and non-), I must question your original premise. Take a step back there and ask how valid is that? How do you know that humans are the only species to evolve a conscience? We certainly have direct evidence of other animals, including those of the whales, dolphins, chimps, and gorillas being very conscious and possibly suffering from what you call the knowledge of right and wrong. So, do some homework there. Give our other species some credit. I would wager that there are some here that would say their cats and dogs even know right from wrong.

BTW, I heard a saying credited to a Native American tribe (forget which one) that conscience is like a sharp stone in your heart. When you do something bad, it turns over and hurts you. But if you keep doing bad, it wears smooth and you no longer feel it. I rather like that analogy. Hope to keep that stone as sharp as I can.

Peace.

Answer 3

Not really true, Dolphins, Chimpanzees, Orangutuans, and Gorillas all show the ability to handle right from wrong scenarios. This question relates more to parental teaching and culture than to the idea of evolution or creation. And even if you don't think so, it doesn't prove one way or the other, since God could have chosen to give those animals the conscience thing too. Or they may have evolved it themselves.

Answer 4

How do you know that other species have no sense of right and wrong? Watch chimps interact, and you'll see obvious signs of remorse after one of them harms another.

From an evolutionary perspective, there is tremendous advantage to a sense of right and wrong for social animals.

Answer 5

This is a science question, not a religious one. It's obviously not god that gives us the knowledge of right and wrong though. If it was, there would be no psychopaths.

Answer 6

Well actually you are wrong - - my dog knows some right from wrong - - when she makes a 'mistake' on the floor you should see how she acts - she knows she did wrong.