Morality, Ethics, Evil, Greed
The Science of Being Virtuous
Those who are considered morally good are said to be virtuous, holding themselves to high ethical standards, while those viewed as morally bad are thought of as wicked, sinful, or even criminal. Morality was a key concern of Aristotle, who first studied questions such as “What is moral responsibility?” and “What does it take for a human being to be virtuous?” Researchers today believe that the central concern of all moral codes is the perceived threat of harm.
We used to think that people are born with a blank slate, but research has shown that people have an innate sense of morality . Of course, parents and society can nurture and develop morality and ethics in children.
Humans are ethical and moral regardless of religion and God. People are not fundamentally good, nor are they fundamentally evil. However, a Pew study found that atheists are much less likely than theists to believe that there are "absolute standards of right and wrong." In effect, atheism does not undermine morality, but the atheist's conception of morality may depart from that of the traditional theist.
Animals are like humans—and humans are animals, after all. Many studies have been conducted across animal species, and more than 90 percent of their behavior can be identified as “prosocial” or positive. Plus, you won’t find mass warfare in animals as you do in humans. Hence, in a way, it can be said that animals are more moral than humans.
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