Although it’s not illegal for me to be rude to a neighbor, other neighbors
would be more likely to form negative opinions which will carry social
consequences. If I live in a small town, such behavior may even impact my
ability to acquire gainful employment. It is when rudeness crosses the line
that we have laws to inflict harsher consequences on those who lack
empathy and don’t want to play by the rules encouraged by social cohesion.
Along with empathy, there are rewards and consequences for our actions in
this world. One need not base their morals on promises of heaven or threats
of hell. For if anyone should have their morals shaped only by such threats
and promises, they lack empathy and are not moral. They are simply
obedient.
Shades of Grey
Those who propose an objective morality often run into trouble when
confronted with the fact that morality is in many cases not so black and
white. Take for instance the countless people worldwide who have been
imprisoned for marijuana.
Is smoking pot “immoral”? Does it make a difference if it’s a 38-year-old
man smoking pot as opposed to a seven-year-old boy smoking pot given to
him by a 38-year-old man? What about euthanasia? Should suffering people
be put out of their misery? How much suffering is required to justify
euthanasia?
If morality were black and white, there would be no philosophy of ethics,
and philosophers would never ponder a situation where their spouse and
child are in equal danger and there is only time to save one. Ethical
dilemmas such as these will often illicit a contradiction from those claiming
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