Morality

November 24, 2024

What is morality?

When a man throws puppies into the roaring, tumultuous current from a bridge, where can I find the immorality of it? Can I see it? Can I hear it? Can I sense it at all? What if I could read the brainwaves of the man and the puppies—would the immorality be in there? If not, where is it?

Is the immorality in me? If yes, what does that mean? Can we speak about objectivity if it’s within me? Perhaps morality is tied to emotions—I certainly would feel angry rather than engage in logical calculations. But why, then, do I feel as if these emotions are truths? Isn’t there such a thing as moral progress? We no longer have slavery, nor do children need to work in harsh conditions. How can we have moral progress without objectivity? But what if I were born an Aztec, and the man was an Aztec priest, and the puppies were human sacrifices—wouldn’t I feel it was right?

Where does morality come from?

Is it from God? Did God simply decide that good things are good? If so, why did He not decide that murder is good? Maybe morality existed before God. But how could something come before the infinite and perfect? Perhaps morality was constructed. Why? To keep society harmonious and ensure reproduction? Did morality come from evolution? What if it were evolutionarily advantageous to torture children—would torturing children then be right?

Does it even matter?

“The restless mind is an unhappy mind.”