A Case for Inherent Morality

[brewer]

Never said it couldn't. The difference is that you can question the adult and debate alternative motives. Not so much with infants.

There could also be all kinds of non emotional reasons for the babies choices, but I chose to give John emotional reasons as that seems to be part of his position.

The point I was making was that you seemed to be suggesting that the babies' "moral behavior" wasn't truly moral if it could be explained that way, so you were implying that behavior explained that way wasn't truly moral.  If adult behavior can be similarly explained, then adult behavior is similarly not an example of moral behavior.  You didn't say it explicitly, but unless you're agreeing that there is no moral behavior in adults and children both, it was implied.  I think.  I'm not sure I fully understand what value you're assigning to those feelings.  Self-reporting of behavior doesn't necessarily resolve the ambiguity as those self-reports have plenty of confounding factors, including a history of being told that their feeling concerning the subject are moral feelings, when in fact they may be no different than the self-interested babies' feelings.  Self-reports confirm expectations, but they don't explain the expectations themselves.  Are you, then, suggesting that there is no such thing as moral behavior, in adults or in babies?  Or are you arguing for John's position that morals are simply evolved behaviors?

I'm saying that coming to the conclusion that the babies behavior represents a moral behavior is not necessarily correct, therefore stating that babies have morals is not necessarily correct.

My position on "moral(s)" is that it exists on a sliding scale. Where it lands on the scale depends on the behavior/situation, the actor/participant and the observer/recipient. It's a set and setting thing (without the drugs). Johns "moral" behaviors I would call evolved beneficial group/social/societal behaviors. 

And you're right, babies and adults can act out of self interest that may appear to the observer as "moral". And I agree that self reporting may not reflect the actual motive but the report can be questioned with an adult, not a baby.

I do take issue with the term moral when applied to behaviors, it requires a judgement. As soon as a judgement is made we're back to the sliding scale.