(November 28, 2014 at 1:20 pm)Exian Wrote: Morality is a quality of being social creatures, which is the way our evolutionary cookie crumbled. Morality is beneficial to the survival of the individual as well as the tribe. To me, the question "should atheists be moral" is kind of nonsensical. It's almost unavoidable by all humans, not just atheists.
If we didn't evolve as social creatures, then it would be every man for himself. Murder and all manner of immoral behavior would be the norm. The question of morality wouldn't come up. If having even one bad apple was detrimental to our survival, the bad apple would be worked out of our system. Every person would be trustworthy. The question of morality wouldn't come up. It's because our soecies is able to have both good and bad people that morality is even brought up. The question shouldn't be "should we be moral", but "Can we even avoid being moral as individuals?", and on the flip side "Can a murderous psychopath make a conscience decision to be moral?"
I agree we are the way we are because we evolved as social creatures but now we are intelligent enough to realise that why do we not go back to every man himself.
'Can we avoid being moral as individuals'. Yes is the answer. I know it is wrong and immoral to steal. However, I can make my life better if I do it. The question is why 'should' I not steal it?
"Can a murderous psychopath make a conscience decision to be moral?" I think this is irrelevant to the debate. Like I said I'm assuming everyone agrees on what is moral and people 'purposely' going out of their way to do something immoral for the benefit of themselves.
