Can objective morality exist in Atheism?

[tavarish]

I said morality is connected to the golden rule, and it is.

Umm not sure that's entirely true as a principle.

Certainly some,even a lot of morality is based on the principle of "do unto others" Indeed,the Buddha said 'above all,loving kindness'. I'm sure there are people who consider that an objective moral absolute.I am not one of them.


My position is that I have so far failed to discover a universal moral absolute nor any external moral authority.

My observation is that in practice morality is subjective,based on what we 'believe' 'or 'feel' to be right. I have never seen any evidence that humans as a species are even capable of consistent, objective, rational thought or behaviour.

Morality is above all pragmatic ,based on self interest. The Golden Rule is pragmatic and self serving for social animals some of the time. Usually we ignore it to some degree in petty ways, to get what we want.If threatened, we are immediately able to justify ignoring the Golden Rule.

I agree.

However, I contend that the golden rule (as a survival mechanism) advocates cooperation as a function of self interest.

"In order for me to have favorable living conditions and have a chance to procreate, I will cooperate with the others in my immediate area"

I think most, if not all morals are based on this tenet, as the survival of the society (if regarded as a single entity) depends on it. Humans are definitely able to ignore the golden rule, but this is done by dehumanizing the ones to which we do harm. It's bending the rule by changing the decription of "others", not outright breaking it, so to speak.

Although I think it is a guiding principle of morality in society, it is not in itself a moral, and as you said, can be ignored.

Then again, I could be talking crap like I always do.