A Case for Inherent Morality

[Belacqua]

Sorry, I don't see yet how a long loving embrace is proof that we're talking about morality, rather than survival value.  

I can see obvious evolutionary advantages for choosing to be with helpful people.

My vocabulary has never been very nuanced when it comes to this topic; I tend to lump norms, morals, ethics, etc. all into the same bubble. However, if morals are a way of regulating actions and behaviors, and a long loving embrace is a behavior with survival value, there should be an evolutionary connection there. Evolving morality would be one way in which long embraces get reinforced, or something like that.

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is a good resource. I think the first chapter on the evolution of morality is of use to the conversation. (Half of the chapter is spent addressing the problem with evolutionary explanations like the one I made above.)

I guess my issue is this: if we see a baby give something a long loving embrace, how can we determine what is in the baby's mind? There's no language yet, and perhaps no clear concept. 

So how do we determine if the positive reaction means "this is good morally" or "this is good for me."

The Handbook looks good. I've downloaded it. If we're going to get serious about the topic, it's going to require a deep dive, I think.