Do atheists even need an objective moral system?

[Zone]

Objectively actions will either cause harm to others or they won't. There are grey areas that are subject to debate and opinion and at times human culture. And that's really all morality is there doesn't really need to be anything funny going on. Some atheists will come up with some kind of evolutionary or physiological basis for it but I think that's going a bit too far, any intelligent being can be altruistic because they simply decided to be nice there won't be any other underlying cause making them do it.

What things are "nice"?

Any for the benefit of others at a cost to your self. Other animals can demonstate signs of true altruism but it will be the more intelligent species. Dolphins have been known to rescue humans from shark attack for instance, no benefit to them to do that but they're just in the feeling in the mood.

[Violet]

What things are "nice"?

I'm nice!

[Edwardo Piet]

I ultimately personally agree entirely with the OP

And I personally like the idea of more happier, healthier, safer, free emotional beings and less unhappy, unhealthy, unsafe, unfree emotional beings

[Annik]

Any for the benefit of others at a cost to your self. Other animals can demonstate signs of true altruism but it will be the more intelligent species. Dolphins have been known to rescue humans from shark attack for instance, no benefit to them to do that but they're just in the feeling in the mood.

Well, I say that shooting into crowds benefits the world because I'm helping curb overpopulation. It's of a cost to me, but I'm willing to do it. Is this "nice"?

[Zone]

Well, I say that shooting into crowds benefits the world because I'm helping curb overpopulation. It's of a cost to me, but I'm willing to do it. Is this "nice"?

You could hand out free condoms and birth control to people of developing nations that would be the nice way of reducing the human population. Shooting someone dead can't really be nice because whoever is shot won't appreciate it very much so the best that can be is a necessary evil, like say in a war or in self defence.

[Annik]

What I'm trying to illustrate is that these words don't have objective meaning. They are subjective and open to interpretation. Morality cannot be objective because what is moral is subjective.

[Zone]

What I'm trying to illustrate is that these words don't have objective meaning. They are subjective and open to interpretation. Morality cannot be objective because what is moral is subjective.

Something is "nice" if you do something for someone else that they like and appreciate you doing for them. The resulting reaction would be something objective happening in a reality inside someones brain that you're causing through your action. Of course the action would have to be voluntary and it won't count as niceness if the action is done purely to gain something in return. So intelligent beings just have the capacity to be nice to others because they want to and can, it doesn't fall into either the supernatural or science.

[Mark 13:13]

Well, I say that shooting into crowds benefits the world because I'm helping curb overpopulation. It's of a cost to me, but I'm willing to do it. Is this "nice"?

You could hand out free condoms and birth control to people of developing nations that would be the nice way of reducing the human population. Shooting someone dead can't really be nice because whoever is shot won't appreciate it very much so the best that can be is a necessary evil, like say in a war or in self defence.

Just a side note the world is not overpopulated imo just very poorly managed.