Atheists can have a fine code of morals, but ultimately what is the objective basis for this set of morals?
Put another way, if someone completely rejects that code of morals, on what objective basis can the atheist say that they are wrong?
Theists - Why does Morality require the existence of God?
by cantleave 122 Replies latest watchtower bible
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Satanus
TYA
No problem.
'Research in recent years has focused on possible brain processes underlying the experience of empathy. For instance, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been employed to investigate the functional anatomy of empathy. [ 32 ] [ 33 ] These studies have shown that observing another person's emotional state activates parts of the neuronal network involved in processing that same state in oneself, whether it is disgust, [ 34 ] touch, [ 35 ] [ 36 ] or pain. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] [ 39 ] [ 40 ] The study of the neural underpinnings of empathy has received increased interest following the target paper published by Preston and Frans de Waal, [ 41 ] following the discovery of mirror neurons in monkeys that fire both when the creature watches another perform an action as well as when they themselves perform it. In their paper, they argued that attended perception of the object's state automatically activates neural representations, and that this activation automatically primes or generates the associated autonomic and somatic responses (idea of perception-action-coupling [ 42 ] ), unless inhibited. This mechanism is similar to the common coding theory between perception and action. Another recent study provides evidence of separate neural pathways activating reciprocal suppression in different regions of the brain associated with the performance of "social" and "mechanical" tasks. These findings suggest that the cognition associated with reasoning about the "state of another person's mind" and "causal/mechanical properties of inanimate objects" are neurally suppressed from occurring at the same time. [ 43 ] [ 44 ]'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empathy#Neurological_basis
Psychos hide what they do so they can avoid repercussions, not because of guilt. If they feel guilt, they aren't that psycho. Psychopaths are devoid of those kind of feelings.
' Psychopathy
Psychopaths exhibit antisocial and aggressive behavior, as well as some emotional and interpersonal traits in the form of shallow emotions, manipulation of others, and lack of guilt and empathy for victims. [ 67 ] [ 68 ]
It has been suggested that children with psychopathic traits and adult psychopaths have particular impairments in recognizing distress cues (e.g. facial and vocal expressions of fear and sadness), yet match control groups at recognizing other facial and vocal expressions of emotions like happiness. [ 69 ] [ 70 ] [ 71 ] Individuals with psychopathy don't process others' signals of distress as unpleasant, which results in a lack of empathy which then fails to prevent behavior that creates distress in others. [ 72 ] [ 73 ]
Individuals with psychopathy have biological differences from controls when they implicitly process facial emotions. The underlying biological surfaces for processing facial expressions of happiness are functionally intact, although less responsive than those of controls. In contrast, individuals with psychopathy display an atypical pattern of response to fearful faces compared with neutral faces, including decreased activation of the fusiform and extrastriate cortical regions. This may partly account for impaired recognition of and reduced autonomic responsiveness to expressions of fear, and impairments of empathy. [ 74 ] [full citation needed]'
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tenyearsafter
Thanks Ding...you summarized what I was trying to say in my ramblings!
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new hope and happiness
Ding , turning your question around is a belief in God and supernatural events mingled with superstition and mysticism of ancient writting an abjective basis for a set of morals?
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Hummingbird001
I believe the vast majority of people have a sense of morality. It's just how we are. I think it's naturally part of us to be helpful to others and not do things to intentionally hurt others. I don't believe civilization would have evolved as far as it has, without this natural morality.
In my opinion, religion is what messes this natural morality up. Very often, religion gives people the reasons to justify hurting others.
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tenyearsafter
Good research S.
I agree that the things mentioned in the study make sense, especially when it comes to autonomic functions such as dawing back from pain. We don't have to burn ourselves to prove that it will hurt if we see someone else experience it (unless, of course, you are one of the Jackass guys!). I guess I don't quite see the connection from empathy to morality...even if I never saw or experienced murder, I would not be tempted to commit murder.
Psychopaths are unique...obviously, abnormal brain changes allow them to do what they do. And yes, they hide to avoid repercussions...because they know what they do is not accepted by society as a whole. They may not feel guilt or empathy, but they still know it is wrong based on societal values.
Great discussion!
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tenyearsafter
HB001...I agree, religion has not been a great leader in morality. Religion is man-made, so it is subject to the same flaws as everything else man-made. Belief in a designer is different than religion.
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Satanus
'I don't quite see the connection from empathy to morality...even if I never saw or experienced murder, I would not be tempted to commit murder.'
I'm not sure if i get what your question is. Empathy is what we feel, coming from inside us. Morals, as in a moral code, is a mental set of rules that we may have drawn up for ourselves, based on society, based on beliefs, based on our own feelings of empathy, based on our religion, based on the gang we run w, based on our view of god. The way i see it, empathy is a simple thing that comes from inside us. Morals are much more complex.
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tenyearsafter
New Hope...I think you need to seperate the parts of your question. One part is the belief in God or an Intelligent Designer (the supernatural), and the other is belief in the Bible or orher "holy" book. One does not preclude the other. The biggest divider between believers and Atheists is their view of the supernatural versus the natural world. If the supernatural can't be accepted, than neither can the existence of a deity.