Do dogs exhibit morality?

Question

Morality meaning a code that prevails outside, or even against, survival instincts for the dog and the pack.

Answer 1

No, morality is a human trait.
Being moral or immoral comes from our free will as humans.
Animals do not have free will. They do as their instincts tell them to do. If they risk their own lives to protect a pack leader it is not out of morality. It is out of the instinct to protect the pack (and sometimes they see their human owners to be the pack leader).
An animal's lack of free will is what makes their behavior more predictable. And its humans' free will that makes us so unpredictable. You treat a dog well and he'll be your faithful companion. You treat a human well and one day they'll love you the next day they're back stabbing you.
Ever heard of the saying "The more I know my fellow man the more I love my dog".

Answer 2

While the standards that set Morality are a human definition certainly dogs have free will but like all of us that make choices the choices we make are defined by our needs.

The question is do dogs EXHIBIT morality? This has nothing to do with are they well trained and well behaved in my mind anyway. And in this context I would say yes. SOME do. They will protect others even at the risk of their own life and even if that being is NOT part of their pack or group. An example would be a dog that saves a child...a child they do not know. Or when a puppy is protected and it is not part of the pack.

Conversely they have no human definitions of morality. Most females will accept multiple males because the objective is baby's...not marriage. They can and will bully dogs that are not strong enough and can and will gang on a weaker dog.

So if the question was...are dogs Moral? The answer would be a resounding NO if in fact morality is defined in HUMAN terms. But do they exhibit morality? Well if it is defined in a context of Care for something beyond them selves or noble sacrifices?? Yes...in this context many are capable beyond just instinct in my opinion. They can and DO make choices. Even a well trained dog can CHOOSE to disobey. JMHO

Answer 3

Dogs are known to put themselves in danger to protect their human master. I don't know if I'd call it morality though. It's probably more a matter of instinct and emotion.

It would be no different for us. For example if you saw someone about to be hit by a car, you'd immediately try to save him. It's almost a reflex action. No one stops to think "Well, that car seems to approaching at 40 miles per hour, which would probably kill him. What would be the moral thing to do? What Would Jesus Do? Okay, I think I'll push him out of the way."

Answer 4

You forgot to indicate this section. There are patently ranges of exceptionally much each high quality and function that animals and human beings exhibit. The scientists say, even if, that the information is sparkling. “i'm no longer arguing that non-human primates are ethical beings yet there is adequate information for here of social rules to agree that various the stepping stones in direction of human morality may well be cutting-edge in different animals,” reported Frans de Waal, professor of psychology at Emory college in Georgia interior the U. S..

Answer 5

It's quite possible, although it's yet to be proven. Studies have shown animals in the wild such as elephants & chimps exhibiting both morality and compassion, but humans have so long assumed that animals are incapable of such thought/emotions that the studies are quite young as yet. I think in the future we will see more proof. It will be an interesting study to follow.

Answer 6

I don't know about ALL dogs, but my dog certainly does. He knows I hate it when he begs for people food, so even if I leave a plate of food right there on the coffee table, he won't touch it. not because he's scared of me, but because he has morals and knows it wouldn't be cool to scarf my food.

Also, I think my dog exhibits morality by not chewing any furniture or shoes and only sticking to his own toys. (Believe me- it's not training that made him that way, he just seems to naturally respect my property.)

And he's loyal to a fault- if he thinks I'm in danger, he'll try to kill whoever he perceives to be attacking me.

Answer 7

The survival instincts of the dog and the pack is what establishes their mortality, just as survival and order in human society is what ultimately drives human morality.

Answer 8

I think thae answer to that is strictly up to oppinion and theory, being that nobody can have a conversation with a dog to ask it. My opinion is that they do. When they obey the rules even when they are alone, especialy when the rules are those they dont like... like... dont dig craters in the yard.. dont open the fridge and eat everything in there (which can be quite messy) ect. ect.

Answer 9

Dogs do not have an ability to rationalize only instinct.

Answer 10

Possibly... maybe not.