Atheists: How do you determine what's right and wrong?

Question

Do you trust your "heart?" Were you born with a conscience which already knows right from wrong? Do you follow society's rules? How will you pass your values on to your children?

Some well thought out answers so far, but many angry knee-jerks also. Did I even imply that I'm a Christian? Don't be so quick to judge!

Answer 1

I have a very strong sense of morality taught to me mostly by my parents, just like any other normal human. Also, life experience has had an effect on my ideas of right and wrong. In addition, I think the wisdom of the golden rule is fairly obvious. I teach my children right from wrong in the normal way. I think you must have misconceptions about atheists. The ways in which we go about our lives and run our homes is pretty much the same as anyone else, just without all the religious conditioning.

Answer 2

>Do you trust your "heart?"

No.

>Were you born with a conscience which already knows right from wrong?

No.

>Do you follow society's rules?

Not always.

>How do you determine what's right and wrong?

Just the way everything else can be validly determined: Logical investigation. Morality (right and wrong, essentially) can be considered the branch of philosophy that deals with the logical implications of the existence of sentient desire. It would seem that logic can be used to discover a universal code of morality that works equally for all sentient beings and which can give the correct course of action for any situation requiring a moral decision.

>How will you pass your values on to your children?

I don't have any children, and right at the moment I don't intend to. As far as I can tell, kids can be a big pain in the *** and use up a lot of time I could be spending on things I really enjoy.

Answer 3

"Me hurt others, others hurt me" is cave man level thinking that most Christians seem incapable of understanding. My heart is not always right. Conscience is learned, not born. Yes, I follow society's rules (most of them anyway. I have been known to download a movie or two from the internet). I don't know how I'll pass my values on because I don't yet have any children.

Answer 4

We have an intuition about what is right and wrong, that is both biologically and societally influenced. Additionally, there have been literally thousands of pages of moral philosophy written to try to understand right and wrong.

The easiest way I've found to determine right and wrong is according to the rule utilitarian principle: "Act in such a way that if your action became a rule, that rule would promote the greatest overall utility." The trick is interpreting the words "rule" and "utility".

To pass on my values to my children, I'll teach them what I believe it means to be a good person, and why I think it's important.

Answer 5

Yes all of the above. I follow the rules of society and what feels like a good thing in my heart. Stealing doesnt feel good and it's against the law, so I dont do it. I will pass my values on to my children by telling them that stealing, murdering, and other wrongdoings are against the rules of society and will make them feel bad.

Answer 6

Through humanism is how I pass along my values. Which I'll wager to be every bit as high as yours or anyone elses. Indeed, no humanist has ever been involved in such dastardly attrocities as the crusades the inquisition or the Salem witch trials. And of course neither Hitler, Jim Jones, David Koresh, Timothy McVeigh or any member of the KKK would ever even begin to live up to the moral and ethical standards of humanism yet they all called themselves faithful christians. I'm always curious though. How is it ever possible to pass along values to children using a religion that has such inhumanity envolved in it's history?

Humanism is a philosophy of life inspired by humanity and guided by reason. It provides the basis for a fulfilling and ethical life without religion.

Humanists make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values.
Humanists see no convincing evidence for gods, the supernatural, or life after death.
Humanists believe that moral values are properly founded on human empathy and scientific understanding.
Humanists believe we must live this life on the basis that it is the only life we'll have -- that, therefore, we must make the most of it for ourselves, each other, and our world.
Humanist philosophies have arisen separately in many different cultures over many thousands of years. Whether or not they use the term humanism, tens of millions of Americans and hundreds of millions of people around the world agree with the humanist philosophy of living a happy and productive life based on reason and compassion.

Answer 7

Every mentally healthy human being has an innate sense of what is right and wrong. Wrong is that which does harm or causes unhappiness. We know when it happens to us, so we know that we shouldn't do it to others or it CAN happen to us as well. It's a very basic lesson in society. All civilizations have this knowledge...even primitive ones without your Bible. That you Christian cherry-pick the verses in your Bible proves that you can determine what is bad from good even though your scriptures say otherwise.

atheist

Answer 8

Think what the consequences of something before you do it. It's that easy and simple. We don't even need a bible to tell us that murder, etc......are wrong.
Just think before you act. Most of us do wrong things because we don't think far enough. If you think before you kill someone, would you kill him/her? No. I mean, if you really really think about it. Mother, dad, children are crying in ur conscience, would u do it if you had thought? Life in jail?
it's just an example.

Answer 9

Hold on while I slam this shot, at 11 AM on a Sunday morning.

You mean to ask "What is it that prevents atheists from running amok with meat cleavers for fun, given that they don't believe they'll be supernaturally punished for it?"

Well, if I run amok with a meat cleaver, secular society has this system in place whereby I will be punished for my actions, quite possibly by being killed myself. So if nothing else, it's self-preservation that holds my raging homicidal impulses in check.

On a primary level, my success in life depends on my ability to function in society, to communicate with people, to establish good relationships, etc. It's in my own interest to look out for the interests of others. Mutual tolerance and support is the very foundation of society, and it's a matter of common sense. Only "religious" people seem to be out of the loop on that one.

Answer 10

The two most basic reactions to any action - pleasure and pain. Basically It is wrong to cause pain to others, and right to pursue pleasure (obviously without causing pain).


Look up the ethical theories put forward by Kant and Bentham. They are both ethical theories that has a basis other than God.