What is the basis of right and wrong?

[armanzaballa]

Teacher came up with this question which I would like to propose to you:

Hypothetically speaking - a person was born into a box, all they saw for 15 years was the inside of the box, they had no interaction with any other human. Ifafter 15 years the person was let out of the box and witnessed someone murdering, by use of a gun, another human. would the person who lived in the box for 15years know that the murder was morally WRONG? What distinguishes right and wrong, morals and ethics, etc.

 

[oidreez]

religion, law, upbringing etc

 

[antonlavey]

Morality is LEARNED.....through family, parent's, teachers, law, religion etc

 

[infamousod]

^ you all-encompassingly missed the point.

it's about that golden rule

 

[infamousod]

you too? I didn't expect this from you LaVey. OP is asking a deeper question, chicken or the egg type thing. what formed the basis for morality as its seenin religion, law, parenting etc? like why doesn't religion and law say it's ok to steal, murder and rape?

 

[droopy7]

chicken or the egg type thing.


Yup.
What are the origins of the morality we know today?

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by DROOPY7

chicken or the egg type thing.

Yup.
What are the origins of the morality we know today?

It evolved among human society because it benefits everyone. Nobody wants to be murdered or stolen from....so a society that prohibits these behaviors would bebeneficial.

 

[daemacho]

Morally wrong.. No but his instincts and intelligence will tell him what has happened was not right.

 

[krazy]

Morality, culture, etc. all that is LEARNED.

Some cultures accept the slaying and public execution of others, do they not?


edit: 5000th post

.

 

[kaycurrency]

Use something less Extreme like Gay marriage...Some think its right (even the hetero' peeps) while some feel its wrong...

 

[capricorn1229]

Morality is LEARNED.....through family, parent's, teachers, law, religion etc
Yup.

He(box boy) probably wouldn't know it was wrong just by seeing the act alone. He would need reinforcements for WHY it is wrong.

 

[de phx jose]

I think Law. I mean, in earlier, less civilized time, killing a man would be essential because maybe he would take your part of the forest or kill your animalto feed his people. And now there's no real need to kill another human being.

take a look at smoking weed. Rastas look at it as MANDATORY, while people think it's bad just because it's illegal

 

[80jerryrice80]

[table][tr][td]Babies Know Right From Wrong Before They Can Even Talk[/td] [/tr][tr][td] [table][tr][td]By Sophia Keenan
22:41, November 22nd 2007[/td] [td]135 votes
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According to research which suggests that the ability to assess other people's motivations may be evolved rather than learnt, babies can tell friend from foe long before they can even talk.

A study in the United States has shown that, at both 6 and 10 months, infants clearly prefer people who help others over those who obstruct others or ignore them.

The findings, from a team at Yale University, Connecticut, show that even before children have learnt speech they have developed a kind of moral sense along the lines of the adage "do as you would be done by". The very young age at which this emerges, before babies have had time to become heavily socialized, makes it likely that this is an evolved instinct rather than a behavior learnt from parents or other adults.

In the study, which is published in the journal Nature, the team used a set of dolls to test the responses of babies aged 6 and 10 months. In the first experiment, the infants watched a wooden puppet with large eyes called "the climber", which attempted repeatedly to climb to the top of a hill. A second doll was then introduced and would interact with the climber in different ways.
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http://www.enews20.com/ne...en_Talk_03900.html

Personally, I believe that morality is partially rooted in nature & partially rooted in nurture.

 

[jumpman23shoefan]

Don;t do onto other s that you wouldn't want others to do to you

 

[milestailsprowe]

Originally Posted by Capricorn1229

Morality is LEARNED.....through family, parent's, teachers, law, religion etc

Yup.

He(box boy) probably wouldn't know it was wrong just by seeing the act alone. He would need reinforcements for WHY it is wrong.



True unless its Horrific and he knows the sight of blood he know thats wrong though.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by de PHX Jose

I think Law. I mean, in earlier, less civilized time, killing a man would be essential because maybe he would take your part of the forest or kill your animal to feed his people. And now there's no real need to kill another human being.

take a look at smoking weed. Rastas look at it as MANDATORY, while people think it's bad just because it's illegal

We're talking about "basic", universal morality here.

Thou shalt not kill/ harm physically
Thou shall not steal

Basically anything that brings harm to your fellow man......weed is illegal for reasons that really have nothing to do with "morality".

 

[m16]

Both nature and learned.

 

[infamousod]

Originally Posted by infamousod



it's about that golden rule

perhaps I should clarify since everyone skipped over my post

golden rule: 'do unto others as you would have them to do unto you'

 

[yaboydiddy]

Originally Posted by infamousod

Originally Posted by infamousod



it's about that golden rule

perhaps I should clarify since everyone skipped over my post

golden rule: 'do unto others as you would have them to do unto you'

That means nothing to somebody that's never had interaction with the human race. No interaction means no emotions. You don't know what u want done toyou - somebody smacks u in the face, 15 years in this bubble, you're gonna think that's appropriate interaction

. This person would have to learn from these funny feelings he's having(emotions), learn from his pain receptors (ouch, I'm not doing that again), and what all that feels like. He would have to learn to pick up on the facialexpressions of others: Smile/Grin = content, happy; Frown = sad, upset, angry; Frown with tears = serious distress. I don't think it would take long tolearn right from wrong.


This topic is like is the show "Kyle XY": this alien/ test tube hybrid has to learn to fit in with the world. He slowly had to learn what all theseemotions and facial expressions from others meant. And when he felt some these emotions, all he knew was he felt kinda funny, he didn't know what theseemotions meant. He had to learn all of that.

 

[aka king arthur]

to answer your question

no he would not KNOW it was wrong

but he could think it was wrong or it could feel wrong

humans do not have instincts though thats a fact google it if you dont believe me

 

[smoothrick007]

pretty much law is the basis...if there were no laws there will be more murders and burglaries,etc...thats when religion kicks in, if you want to go to heavenyou'll follow the bible and not do any of that bad stuff..so law and religion is your answer..if there was no law or religion no one would give a amn aboutright or wrong

 

[thunderchunk69]

EVERYTHING IS WRONG (according to every scripture)
just have to stop at a degree you're ok with.

 

[hiram408]

Originally Posted by de PHX Jose

take a look at smoking weed. Rastas look at it as MANDATORY, while people think it's bad just because it's illegal

Rastas are obligated to smoke weed.

I dont think the box man would see it as wrong. Our conception of right and wrong is socially constructed. I believe we are a blank slate and simply learn,through observations and experience, what's socially accepted.

 

[rsdplaya]

right and wrong is determined by what each individual believes.

 

[retr0sxual]

Originally Posted by infamousod

^ you all-encompassingly missed the point.

it's about that golden rule

Originally Posted by infamousod

you too? I didn't expect this from you LaVey. OP is asking a deeper question, chicken or the egg type thing. what formed the basis for morality as its seen in religion, law, parenting etc? like why doesn't religion and law say it's ok to steal, murder and rape?

Calm the %**% down.