Why should I be moral?

Gotta' steal this from Darren>_<


The question: Why should I be moral? *Forum rules apply

 

Because you'll feel better afterward. And other people will like you, leading to future benefit.

 

Part of it is in your own self interest - ie you shoot me I'll shoot you back twice. It's in both of our interests to get along through voluntary interaction.

 

Without a belief in heaven nor hell, I agree, what is the point of being moral at all?

Of course there comes the government and police, but if it was something that no one would know about, and it came down to you doing the right thing, or being selfish to your own desires, what would you do?

 

Heaven and hell is not necessary for a moral life. I act moral, and it's not because I'm afraid of might happen after I die if I don't. It just takes a little dash of patience and empathy.

 

I have the innate urge to be moral. That's why I, like the majority, swallowed the idea of Religion. As a child, you don't have the capacity to understand morality for yourself, so you cling to your parent's 'morality'. When your parents say that believing in God is moral, your desire to be moral is more powerful than your reasoning skills.

I would not, for example, kill a baby with a steak knife.

Why wouldn't I? What if I was to get paid for the act? What if there was no chance of being caught? I still wouldn't do it. But why?

It would make me feel bad. Humans have an innate empathy that stops atrocities like that. So why do people do it? Well, there's several reasons (most of which belong on other topics), but one has to take into account that some people are incapable of morality. Sociopaths lack the basic empathy most of us enjoy. There is no help for them, and it's perfectly moral to separate these people from me so I don't have to live in fear.

Okay, let's give another example of morality and how logic can be applied to it:

My son is dying from cancer. There's a new miracle drug that will save him. The drug costs fifty-thousand dollars, way above the amount I can gather. Is it moral for me to steal money in order to save him?

Well, would it be alright for someone to steal from me to give their child a flu shot? Is it alright for someone to steal from me so they can buy a candy bar? Is it alright for someone to steal from me so their wife can have her tubes tied? No, those things would not be acceptable. It would be unacceptable for someone to steal from me, therefore it's immoral for me to steal from them, no matter if the cause is considered 'good'. Since this principal can be applied to absolutely EVERYONE, you know it's moral. There's no exceptions, no loopholes. There's no degree separation concocted by people with hidden agendas.

So what do I do? My son is still sick and I think it's immoral to steal. Well, I do all I can do. I work my ass off trying to scrape money. I beg for the money, and promise that I'm going to pay people back WITH interest. Here's where morality comes back to help the one in need. Those who see my son dying will want to help him. They will want the feeling that comes with helping someone in need. They wish to be moral. People will help.

 

Yes, but if you don't care about anyone else, and who you hurt, or who you have to trample to live, only yourself. Why should he be moral? The people that do things first like if you ask for help, and they help you first, all you have to do is say thanks, but I don't need to help you. And he got aid, with no return.

 

What if I don't feel better afterwards? What if I'm all about me, if I'm not getting helped, I shouldn't be happy.

 

I'm not quite understanding you, but I'll try to respond to what I think you're saying.

Then I would think he's probably a Sociopath. I mean, people go through Nihilist phases but still have morality underneath the bullshit. So, one of those. Either the person is deluding themselves on their path to personal morality or they're completely gone.

No sense at all to me >_<. I just have a hard time working out other people's viewpoints. Can you please rephrase it for me?

 

Many, many people have the mindset of "survival of the fittest"

How do you know that what the person is doing is to not take advantage of you, and using the opertunity for personal gain and not just a thing of his/her nature.

 

Then you're an asshole, and people will look through your bullshit pretty fast. You die alone.

Time to see the big picture.

 

Their whole personality could be one big lie. And i'd doubt you'd discover it if they could cover it up good enough. Their happiness rides on it, so I doubt they'd slack off.

 

Along with higher intelligence, I think humans are generally past that. You see this with things like Socialism. People desire to help each other so they support the spreading of wealth. (Of course they're going about it in a COMPLETELY destructive way..) but yeah, it shows the majority has a general interest in the welfare of others. Not that the majority is always right, but it shows the innate morality in people.

Oh, about the dying child? I guess you don't. I would probably do some research into the matter before donating to such a cause in large amounts. I don't think it's really important though. Just include the story to include that it's a FACT that the little boy is dying.

 

Morals?

Hmm... what are those?

 

Hey, in Am/Lit We read Self Reliance which was all about morality.
Basically, only we just ourselves, and most of the time being moral is just to keep our sanity. Plus being immoral in the modern age usually ends up with jail time.

 

Universally Preferable Behavior

 

Its just as easy to be good as it is to be bad. One leads to friendship and love, the other leads to hatred and dislike. Personally I would prefer to have friends than enemies.

 

Even if you're an atheist (I am), I think having a set of morals helps you to feel you have inherent self-worth and dignity. Just because I don't believe in a god doesn't mean I don't want others to respect me. A person with no morals would likely have few friends and probably wouldn't be very happy. Morals give me goals and a purpose. Afterall, what is the purpose of life if there is no god? You just have to improvise and I think having a set morals is a good start.

 

You shouldn't.

 

Atleast hes giving credit to the person who had the idea...