(November 13, 2013 at 2:34 am)wallym Wrote: I think the problem I'm getting caught up on, is picking a moral code based on logic. It seems like that's how a lot of us got here. The logical absurdity of religion was offputting. And to replace it with my own made up illogical moral code just seems depressing.Look at it this way: you have spent your life accepting a made-up, illogical moral code that somebody else decreed. That seems depressing. You are a primate, and primate species need to live with a group. To live with a group, you have to temper impulses to fuck with other members of the group. To that end, evolution has equipped you with a conscience and a sense of altruism, and the group nurtures and rewards behavior resulting from conscience and altruism. Different groups accept different standards of morality- in some cultures it is moral to stone your philandering wife, or to eat your dead. The group decides on general rules, and you decide whether or not to obey them, although for most neurologically normal people it is not difficult to overcome desires to commit really heinous acts like murder. If you want a biological basis- that's all she wrote. And these (biological reasons + cultural indoctrination) are good reasons to develop a moral code- better reasons than simply accepting a code of morals from an old book, many of which may do nothing to promote the welfare or happiness of the group. I'm pretty sure you DO want to be a productive member of a thriving society instead of a rapist/murderer. Why is that? Is it because of your religious teachings, or because of your neurological wiring and cultural upbringing?
Quote:I'll slow down now. Thanks for the input. I'm sure the discussion has been had about a 1000 times on here already.It remains a useful conversation to me, at least.
