What is Morality?

This is part one of my new series on morality. Before we can really discuss anything, we first need to establish a decent, all-encompassing working definition of morality, so we can build from there, which is the focus of this video.

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[Philosification]

This is where a lot of people end up talking past each other, there are a lot of christians who don't define morality as you do and they're arguing something different when you debate with them. To some morality is defined as "whatever the hell god said" regardless of how good that is or isn't for other people. I think simply asserting what it means to you and then going from there is to bypass the real core of the debate. When they say morality is universal they really mean god is universal

[ShorthandHero]

@Philosification The purpose of this definition is to be all-inclusive. All of the things other people believe about morality, ultimately reduce to the elements in my definition. Religious people believe morality is whatever god says, but when you simplify it, they are really concerned with their well-being, albeit spiritual well-being, but that's just an example. Anything anyone could possibly care about has to reduce to suffering and/or happiness and/or well-being and/or life.

[streetstaruk]

exactly. nice video! very simple and straight to the point. so it boils down to what is right and wrong. which i would say, is anything that has a negative effect on a living entity that will cause death or the possibility of a path to death, (any disease or pressures leading to the suffering). so we create this morality for the benifit of self and humanity. would u agree?

[ShorthandHero]

@streetstaruk I think that's part of it, but there is a lot more, which is why I included happiness and suffering. One can suffer without dying, and one can be unhappy without dying, but we recognize these as undesirable things.

[PaleoClipper]

Your video pops up with one of TheThinkingAtheist's movies on the side. Be honored my friend, be honored.

[ShorthandHero]

@PaleoClipper Haha, thanks, I enjoy those videos, even if they are targeted mainly at fundies.

[sgapplebee]

I just wanted to add something to the conversation.

Morality, however you want to define it, has 3 prerequisites: Reason, Freedom, and Intent. If you take away any of these 3, you are no longer in the realm of morality.

In essence, Morality cannot exist without the ability to Reason.

Morality cannot exist without Freedom (The Right to Choose).

And Morality cannot esist without the Intent to be moral (it's never a matter of luck).

[MarkArandjus]

Can't wait for more of these. So far I pretty much agree, I hope you throw in some nice moral dilemmas, that's when our definitions get put to the test.