If morals are not biology or magic, what is their source?

[Dani]

In another thread I said morality is either derived from biology or the only other option is some kind of magical source.

I think I know the thread you're talking about, but I couldn't find where someone said this was a false dichotomy.

Morality has a biological basis, as well as language.

This doesn't mean that "Thou Shall Not Kill" or "Hamlet" are reductable to biology.

 

[Democracy Simulator]

I don't know that we have to get hung up on drawing a line between us and whether similar behaviors exhibited by other entities makes them moral agents. In either case we are still talking about behaviors which emerge from the parts and which may or may not include those characteristics you mentioned (e.g. community, communication), rather than an external source for those behaviors.

Linda

With animals, I only brought this up because others thought it relevant. I think we can consider the suffering of animals within our own moral purview, but I think that it is sensible to draw the line excluding them from being moral agents/actors.

 

[jakesteele]

The higher level of consciousness that humans have comes with free will and the ability to choose. Also, most people have a healthy sense of shame and guilt that comes into play. I think morals tend to be fairly universal with a lot of variants and styles. I think is boils down to how would you feel if someone did that to you? Also, any civizilation has to have some kind of moral and ethical code that is hopefully mutually agreed upon in order for the society to function. It is the glue that helps hold society together.

I don't really know if it is hard-wired into us or comes from a mysterious, supernatural place, but we do have the ability to choose.