What is the source for our morals?

[Neo-Scholastic]

I believe truth is simply a characteristic of correct language use.  Instances of language which correctly correlate to states of affairs that obtain (how you liking my pompous ass?) are said to be "true".  

That's good but try to be a little bit more smug.

[Whateverist]

Thanks for the tip. *said in the most condescending tone of voice I can muster*

[bennyboy]

Morality is a social construct that makes sure society can function. As a result we can trade, socialize and work together with a basic understanding of what is and isn't off limits.
That being said if atheists weren't required by law of the land not to, and I think I can speak for the whole community, we would all annex Poland then proceed to conquer the rest of the world in awesome black uniforms designed by Hugo Boss. A genocide here, a human rights violation there, perhaps a Charlie Chaplin mustache for comic effect? I mean, its obviously what Darwin would of wanted.
Thats just the natural progression of Atheism but for now its on hold till one of gets in power. Watch this space!

After that, I have doubts about whether you even ARE an atheist, you poe.  What the hell use is power and genocide, if you don't stop to smell the roses and eat the babies?

[itsjustme141]

Obviously objective morality doesn't exist considering everyone has a different opinion on what they think is moral. However, considering most of us don't go around killing and raping people, I'd have to say there is a dominant thought process we all share that could be considered universal morality. Chimpanzees and other higher mammals also exhibit this morality, albeit on a smaller scale. So did we evolve our basic morals as some kind of preservation of our species? Or is it completely learned behavior; rules created by tyrants that become memes? Or perhaps both? Is there a part of our brain that we have found to contain morality?

I think that our morals are derived just from simple self preservation. We know that its more favorable to our survival if we work together, as opposed to every man for himself. We developed empathy to help with this, and those who lack it happen to be the said murderers and rapists. So the real question is why to we empathize really because without empathy what would morals be...

[Edwardo Piet]

Source of our morals: Genetics and memetics. Nature and nurture.

Giving a shit also helps.

[Cato]

C'mon people. Let's see some real debate. Deontologicalists versus consequentialists! Utilitarians versus virtue ethics!

Should quickly devolve into recognition that we all live with a smattering of each.

[Reforged]

Morality is a social construct that makes sure society can function. As a result we can trade, socialize and work together with a basic understanding of what is and isn't off limits.
That being said if atheists weren't required by law of the land not to, and I think I can speak for the whole community, we would all annex Poland then proceed to conquer the rest of the world in awesome black uniforms designed by Hugo Boss. A genocide here, a human rights violation there, perhaps a Charlie Chaplin mustache for comic effect? I mean, its obviously what Darwin would of wanted.
Thats just the natural progression of Atheism but for now its on hold till one of gets in power. Watch this space!

After that, I have doubts about whether you even ARE an atheist, you poe.  What the hell use is power and genocide, if you don't stop to smell the roses and eat the babies?

Can't risk smelling the roses. Too red. Will give away my communist leanings.
Could lead to a scene where I'm unmasked by the scooby doo gang as being Stalin.

[robvalue]

I just found the receipt, mine came from morals4u.com

[ignoramus]

I suppose after mixing with you heathens, bad morals are better than no morals, right?

[robvalue]

Well, you can't get worse than atheists. We literally murder and rape 24 hours a day because it's what we want to do, and there are no laws stopping us doing this.

Everyone is a psycopathic, basically. Unless you have some sort of adequate threat made against you, you're going to murder and rape. It's great that Christianity is there to save so many of the psyopaths. Then they have an actual reason not to gouge the eyes out of squirrels and have sex with post boxes, which they often admit they would definitely be doing if Jesus wasn't watching and keeping score.