Simply put, I think morality originates from a feeling of compassion towards other sentient beings. Humans as social animals have developed the ability to recognise suffering in their fellow creatures (human or non-human). Where other carnivores would look at a wounded animal and see an opportunity to feed, a human would additionally be able to feel pity for it. I believe that this is something that is inborn in most people (although psychopaths prove that it isn't an essential human trait). I think this awareness led to the first moral ideas, wanting to prevent suffering and to treat others the way we would want to be treated ourselves. What do you think?
I think our moral system comes from our rolemodels and society, we learn from our parents and older brothers and sisters what is right and what is wrong, we learn at school and at our first job what is tolerated and what not.
On the inside we do have feelings but many people would steal and murder if they were not teached it is wrong.
Also society is what built the law.
You said "a human would feel pity for a wounded animal".
This might be true now, but not long ago when we simply killed to survive.
Now we get food from the stores and are no longer used to having to hunt ourselves, therefor we feel pity when we do see a wounded animal, but that is what society has done.
I'll tell ya what I think! I'm not sure I'll finish reading all the comments after this one. That was a fabulous answer and I feel like I'm done here :)
Although I disagree that this is the origin of morality, I think it's an incredibly interesting way to think about it. I'm not sure why I disagree but I may elaborate later. Very fascinating though.
the nature of morality
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Simply put, I think morality originates from a feeling of compassion towards other sentient beings. Humans as social animals have developed the ability to recognise suffering in their fellow creatures (human or non-human). Where other carnivores would look at a wounded animal and see an opportunity to feed, a human would additionally be able to feel pity for it. I believe that this is something that is inborn in most people (although psychopaths prove that it isn't an essential human trait). I think this awareness led to the first moral ideas, wanting to prevent suffering and to treat others the way we would want to be treated ourselves. What do you think?
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I think our moral system comes from our rolemodels and society, we learn from our parents and older brothers and sisters what is right and what is wrong, we learn at school and at our first job what is tolerated and what not.
On the inside we do have feelings but many people would steal and murder if they were not teached it is wrong.
Also society is what built the law.
You said "a human would feel pity for a wounded animal".
This might be true now, but not long ago when we simply killed to survive.
Now we get food from the stores and are no longer used to having to hunt ourselves, therefor we feel pity when we do see a wounded animal, but that is what society has done.
I'll tell ya what I think! I'm not sure I'll finish reading all the comments after this one. That was a fabulous answer and I feel like I'm done here :)
Although I disagree that this is the origin of morality, I think it's an incredibly interesting way to think about it. I'm not sure why I disagree but I may elaborate later. Very fascinating though.