Morals without God?
Ian Bryce, Lead Senate candidate (NSW) for the Secular Party, October 2007
This is a Work
in Progress. It is derived from other writings and PowerPoint presentations commencing in February 2007.
Can we have morals
without a god? We will see what history tells us about the origins of religions and ethics, and then try to construct a system of
ethics based instead on scientific principles and reason.
The following is a selection
of moral rules from history:
· Golden Rule - do unto others…
· To appease your enemy, put your daughters out for him to rape (Old Testament)
· Slay heretics (ie
those who have deviated from the true faith)
· Convert or slaughter
· Not commit adultery
· Tell the truth
· Love and respect all
beings
· Torture the innocent in order to forgive the guilty
· Help others in your family
· Stop and smell the flowers
· Do
not steal
· Be nice to others in your pack
· Attack anyone outside
your tribe
So there is a wide variety of moral instructions handed down throughout history. Some are today regarded as acceptable,
and some as despicable. Some improve the welfare of others, and some hold others in disregard. Most religions contain a mixture of
good and bad instructions, which in any case vary from year to year according to who is interpreting them.
· Because the Chief said
· Because God said
· Because its written in our Holy book
· Because the priest said
· Its good to be good (Kant)
· Duty for Duty’s sake
· For my own
benefit (reciprocity)
· For reward in the Afterlife
· Survival
value
· The Altruistic gene
· Family benefit
· To make society function
· To avoid jail
· It feels good
There
is obviously a wide range of reasons given for practicing morals, but little consensus.
What methods have been used
to derive ethical laws, and to explain where they come from?
This method applies to the rules, superstitions and
religious teachings described above. It may be summarized as “A higher authority told me to do such and such, so I will do it.”
One asks “Why do I behave this way? Let me look inside my head – examine my own thoughts.” This is what the classical
philosophers did. Kant, for example, described the Categorical Imperative, from which absolute duties arise – “one MUST do such and
such”. Holyoake in 1896 wrote “It is good to do good.”
These examples show circular reasoning, and point out the failure of
introspection to reveal the origins of instinctive behaviour. A simpler example is if I ask my friend at a party “Why did you ask
for that girl’s phone number?” He might answer “Because she has got a pretty face.” This reveals nothing of the real cause.
Many fields of science have contributed to our understanding of the origins of ethics, and have perhaps enabled
us to construct our own. That is the main topic for this paper. Meanwhile, let us see what science says about my friend at the party.
The solution has many different layers. He could have explained:
(a) My species evolved as a result of a cycle of parents handing
down characteristics to their offspring, random variations in those characteristics, and selection of he fittest. One of these characteristics
is the ability to recognize potential mates who are healthy and fertile.
(b) My genes programmed me to recognize fit mates, in order
to reproduce themselves.
(c) My brain is wired to notice females with a healthy skin and average proportions.