“Just as there isn’t such thing as Christian physics or Muslim algebra, we will see that there isn’t such thing as Christian or Muslim morality.” Sam Harris
Where does morality come from? Some people say that it has come from a God, and some say it has come from a religious figure like Buddha or any other religious figure. For religious people that is acceptable. But the problem arises when what morals should we follow. Is it the teaching of Buddha, Yahweh, Allah, Zeus, etc? Even though there are some common principles, there are differences. For some who try to find what is true, it is going to be a problem. Because according to all religions if you don’t follow their moral code you will going to hell. I don’t want to go to hell, neither do you. because if we follow and believe in one religion there will also be a problem of, are we following the correct religion. This is where in my mind subjective morality comes into the ring
As an individual or as a society we cannot say our society is better than another society or my morals are better than your morals. We can say that but in a subjective manner. How do we decide this is moral and that one is not moral? To this, someone can say because God told, or because a religious leader said that this is good, and this is bad. We have an example of how people thought that their morals and their societies are better than others like the colonial era where European counties try to enforce their laws and morals to other countries. Look how that ended, with two world wars that claim millions of lives. Even some counties still face consequences of that.
Even though morality is subjective but still we need to have a framework, right? Because otherwise, a serial killer can say “oh what I am doing is ok because morality is subjective and according to my morality, this is right”. That is a valid argument because according to him killing a person is okay. But the problem is we cannot live in such a society. That is where evolution comes. Because humans are a social species, and we thrive when we act like a society that ensures the lives of the majority.
For example, in every society in the present day and in the past, there has been punished for killing a person or stealing from others. Even the societies don’t have influence from the outside world like ancient native Americans, or people in the Mayan society. Even they create some morals regarding how to live in a society where that ensures the lives of the majority. Those people did not believe in the ten commandments, or they don’t know Buddha or any other religious figure in the old world, but they still develop the same morals to some degree. So, we can point to the developments of morals as an evolutionary adaptation to ensure the survival of the human species.
As a society people will always create a framework where that ensures the survival of the society and the problem starts to appear when people start to give that credit to a higher being. Because of that people see that their morals are more correct than other people. That is what has happened in the past, the Spanish inquisition, the caliphate, or even the expansion of one religion over other. Look how in the past people treat LGBTQ people. There were, considered as sinners, or they choose this lifestyle, but today we know that this is natural, and we can see the same behavior in nature.
As mentioned above in my mind morality is subjective to some degree but, we can see that even though some aspects of morality are objective because it ensures survival and this is determined by evolution, not by a greater power like God or some other person. Because if we put our morality according to a high power or an imaginary person, well I don’t need to explain what happens in the Caliphates or in the modern time in Afghanistan or a country where religion and government do not have different responsibilities. This is only my opinion, and I would like to hear yours.
