Why be good?

[Cato]

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

Objective moral behavior? Your ignorance is showing. Before coming back to reply perhaps you should catch up on a conversation that has been ongoing for millennia.

Morality:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/morality-definition/

Consequentialism:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/consequentialism/

Deontology:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-deontological/

Virtue Ethics:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ethics-virtue/

[Iroscato]

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

Evolution, baby.

[LastPoet]

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

It comes from necessity, we are what we are for working together and that is the reason for us to be here. To drive my point further, please see this video, I promise it is not someone proclaiming bible verses, so apologies if you find it boring:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLHh9E5ilZ4

[Fidel_Castronaut]

If there is no God, then there is no hell; and if there is no hell, then there are no ultimate, eternal repercussions, good or bad, for how we live out our mortal lives. Of course, atheists insist that people should be "good without God."

But why? If God does not exist, why be good?

Because I am a nice person and I do not wish to inflict suffering on other people and/or animals.

I do not act kindly in hopes of seeing that kindness one day rewarded. I act kindly because it is the right thing to do.

I do not understand your incredulity on what is a relatively simple thing to understand.

As to questions about objective morality, I do not believe there is such a thing as evidenced by the demonstrable changes in morality that have existed in civilisations/societies that preceded us. There are certain moral traits that have survived throughout the centuries (say, killing is almost [but not always] wrong), but there's far more evidence (ie, more than nothing at all) to suggest this as an evolutionary trait of surviving in group hierarchies and social groups.

[dyresand]

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

Evolution plain and simple evolution. 

Animals they have morality they always had and always will have a social morality.
http://www.wired.com/2011/12/rat-empathy/

We even have it because we too are truthfully animals as well so there is no difference.
https://news.virginia.edu/content/human-...tudy-shows

Here is the ultimate problem with morals from a god or even a book. The bible was written so long ago it doesn't conform to modern day society. We for the most part don't see slavery,
we don't kill our kids, we don't openly rape in the streets, and sure as hell we don't kill blasphemers and people who mock you and you religion or the non believers I.E. Atheists. 
We are more civilized and sure as hell were not even barbaric anymore for the most part i mean we still have third world countries and the middle east to deal with. 

[Alex K]

38 responses overnight. Thank you.

I won't be able to respond to all of them before heading off to work, but let me says this:

I'm not asking whether atheists can be good people or whether they are good people. Despite much of the rudeness and foul language directed at me

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

You are begging the question here a little. There is no basis for objective morality if there is no objective morality. However, there is a sort of objective human morality which stems from our makeup as a social animal, our capability of empathy (which most of us share), and our very real desire for a stable and peaceful society. It is not objective beyond human standards, and it doesn't need to be.

[Ben Davis]

What I am asking is: what is the BASIS for objective moral behavior? Where does it come from?

Firstly, there is none. 'Objective' moral behaviour doesn't exist. All morality is subjective. So if we correct your question to 'What is the basis for moral behaviour?', you've already been given the answer. I'll repeat & simplify:

The basis for all moral behaviour, like everything else in our evolutionary development, is survival. Humans developed as a social species because those who behaved socially survived and reproduced more effectively thus propagating the genes for social behaviour. Further along human development, those societies which developed ethical standards (commonly referred to as social contracts, the precursors of law) survived better because they increased the effectiveness of social behaviour.

That's the basis, that's where morality comes from, all of it. No gods required.

[Tonus]

If God does not exist, why be good?

It seems like the best option by a pretty good margin.  Most creatures seek out some kind of optimal life, and humans have become pretty sophisticated at it.  If all food is nourishing, why bother spending time finding and preparing the best foods?  If all clothing provides utility, why care about how it looks?  If all homes provide shelter, why care about how big the kitchen is?

Without a god or old book to tell us, what is the basis for wanting to present an attractive appearance?  Or wanting to prepare and eat the best foods?  Or wanting to live in a nice home?  Or wanting more than just to stumble through life without caring whether we're enjoying it or not?  Easy: we seek an optimal life.  An orderly and civilized society that follows certain rules that have stood the test of time and experimentation seems like a good starting point, so it's something we pursue without having to be ordered to by a divine being.

[robvalue]

There is no objective morality. It's a nonsensical idea. An indifferent universe doesn't judge things to be good, bad or ugly. Someone has to do the judging. If that is "God" then it's just god's opinion. I trust my own opinion a lot more, mainly because I know I exist and I know what results my actions have.

Morality is simply about evaluating wellbeing and harm, trying to maximise the former and minimise the latter. Any other definition of "morality" I don't particularly care about.

I think I answered where it comes from in my post so I'll await your response Quick answer: same place yours comes from, on the whole.

[SteelCurtain]

Ha ha! Man did those goalposts move pretty quick!


Went from why to where in a flash.