Transcript Development of Morality

TED Talk – Monkeys and Morality
Development of Morality
Where Does Morality Come From?
• Always part of the world?
• Product of the minds of
human beings?
• Are values objective,
outside of human beings?
• Are values subjective,
inside of human beings?
Objective Morality
• Three possibilities
– Come from supernatural
being or beings
– Embedded in nature
– World and objects have
value outside of human
beings
Subjective Morality
• Strictly from inside
human beings
• Only determined with
the presence of
conscious
• If no human beings, no
values
Synthesis of Objective and Subjective
• A theory about the complexity
of values
• Must have three things
– Thing of value, or the thing
valued
– A conscious being who values
or the valuer
– The context or the situation in
which the valuing takes place
• Example: gold
DEBATING NATURE OF
MORALITY
Where Does Morality Come From?
• Human needs and
desires, based upon
emotions and reason
• Accomplish more
together than apart
– Good and bad to help
them live successfully
– Sanctioned by leaders
Two Types of Morality
• Customary or Traditional
– Based on custom or
tradition, accepted
without analysis
• Reflective
– Careful evaluation of all
moral issues regardless of
tradition
Morality and the Law
• Not necessarily based on law
• Provides the basic reasons for
significant laws
• Law is a public expression of
and provides a sanction for
social morality
• Examples where the law does
not reflect morality?
SHOULD HUMAN BEINGS
ALWAYS BE MORAL?
DO WE NEED TO INCREASE
MORALITY IN SOCIETY?
An Exercise in Drawing
WHERE DO YOUR VALUES COME
FROM?