Are the concepts of right and wrong real? Or are they inventions to justify the stuff that happens to us?

Answer 1

If the concepts weren't real, how could we have a conversation about them?

I think what you mean to ask is whether our concepts of right and wrong correspond to an objective right and wrong.

Some would say that the variety of opinion on what is right and wrong indicate that they are only subjective.

To which I would reply by slapping the person in the face and when they get angry at me, I would say, but to me that's not wrong, and they would argue with me about how slapping someone in the face is just plain wrong no matter where you go. (I exaggerate. I wouldn't actually do that, but the example is to make a point).

There are, I think enough commonalities in customs and culture throughout the world to see that there is an inherit right and wrong which man can discovere through reason and experience. This is called the Natural Moral Law.

Answer 2

The problem is that neither of these are absolute concepts.
There is no absolute right or absolute wrong. There is a
scale with infinite values at either end.
Simply any action which assists survival for the maximal number across the most spheres of existence is considered to be a right action.
Conversely wrong would be actions which cause minimal survival for the minimal number across the most spheres of existence.

These things are very observable in life.

It's not about what happens to us, it's not about what the other guy does ... it's about what we do and the choices we make. Our actions either help the greater good or hurt the greater good. We are responsible for more than just ourselves...
there is also our families our groups, races and all mankind that we are a part of. Not to mention all life and the planet Earth we live on.

Justification is ultimately an misguided attempt to make ourselves feel better about what we have done when we inately know it is a wrong action.

For any judgemment to be of value it must take these factors into consideration.

Answer 3

There are some who would have everyone believe that there are NO real rights or wrongs; that there are NO moral absolutes.

Yet every day in the local, state, national, & global news there is proof that there ARE rights & wrongs and to ignore them or to break them, you WILL have bad consequences & you WILL suffer the price for commiting them.

The 10 Commandments are the foundational rights/wrongs.

You are not to steal.
You are not to kill.
You are not to commit adultery.
You are not to lie to or against anyone.
You are to honor your parents.
You are not to swear using God's name.
You are not to envy what others have.
You are to work 6 days & rest on the 7th day.
You are to keep the Sabbath day holy.
You are not to create craven images (idols) to worship.

Answer 4

Humans define what is right and wrong--but I don't see them as justifications for what happens. Many things that happen aren't right or wrong, they're just stuff that happens. I see them as rules we create so we can manage to live on the same planet with each other.

Answer 5

Well, they are real but they are different to different people in different situations. I guess you could call my philosophy moral relativism. This is saying that morals are relative and changing, depending on the circumstance. I think we like to give meaning to things that happen, because it's comforting. I really believe, though, that stuff just happens and most of the time it's very random.

Answer 6

Moral Absolutes?
or
Situation Ethics?
That's what you are really asking. Since you are in the R&S section, Religion teaches us that there are moral absolutes, and that as humans, the Bible tells us we know what they are because we know what's right, and what's wrong.

Answer 7

Wrong = hurting others
Right = anything else

No gods needed.