For Atheists who believe in morality: What is the source of right and wrong?

Answer 1

Short answer: My brain.

Right and wrong doesn't really have a source. There's no spigot you can turn to pour right or wrong out. It's not a substance. It's not a form of energy. Right and wrong are judgments. Such judgments are formed by the brain.

That said, people tend to have common morals because of a common human experience. This includes some genetic selection. Many of our morals come from instincts that have worked for us as a species.

Another source of morality is society. There have been countless societies with various moralities. As societies have competed, some moralities have proven more effective at allowing people to live amongst each other in relative peace.

That, btw, is the purpose of morality, to allow people to live close to each other.

When it gets down to it, though, the "source" of your morality is your brain. My morality is influenced by my human genetics, the world I live in, my country, my state, my neighborhood, my culture, my friends, my family. But ultimately, I decided, for myself, what my place is in society, what I want to do with my life, and how I think I should relate to other people.

I can go on to explain how people with different morals come to common morality and how that translates into laws in society, but this post is already too long.

Answer 2

The means to reason is inner - some people, awesome sociopaths and to three quantity those with autistic spectrum complications, lack the flexibility to reason morally. All morality is subjective, except you invent an expert. some position self assurance in time-honored consensus and the beliefs of human rights, although. some position self assurance in an rather previous e book of unknown provenance. Divine Command idea doesn't carry water - Christianity hence accepts something like moral realism, which i'm confident you'll locate completely ideal.

Answer 3

What is the basis of your question? You seem to be suggesting that this is something unusual - that in your view atheists are somehow immoral generally?

You will find that on the whole atheists have greater personal integrity and ethics than christians. The simple reason is because we do not have the "out" that christians believe in of confessing to their sins on their deathbed and being granted forgiveness.

This is IT, this is not a dress rehearsal and the only person responsible for our actions is ourselves - we don't depend on "something" to grant us a guilt free life in enternity!

There is considerable research into right and wrong and many Normative Ethical Theories, including Teleological Ethical Theories and Deontological Ethical Theories. Teleological Theories are Ethical Egoism, Psychological Egoism and Utilitarianism. There is also Restrictied Egoism.

Deontological Theories are Rights Principles and Justice Principles.

Answer 4

Conscience

http://www.harunyahya.com/articles/50inspiration_wis04.php

Answer 5

You learn pretty fast what is right and wrong in any society, religious or not. If you say rob or murder someone you will probably face some sort of retaliation from those you wronged. The best way to protect yourself from said retaliation is not to do the wrongs in the first place.

Answer 6

Do you need a source or a book to be able to figure out what is proper behavior.

Morality for an Atheist comes from everyday human intelligence.

Answer 7

Hammurabi's code, the ten commandments, state and federal law, the Proverbs, Havamal, Confucius, Plato,the mores of the society in which I live, all filtered through my good sense

Answer 8

This question just cracks me up. Common sense is the source, of course. If this is a serious question and you are not being sarcastic than you may not know what common sense is.

Answer 9

The Penal Code!

most of the time, it's common sense.

Answer 10

Morality is a social animal characteristic, which is just empathy.