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Morality's a funny thing. Some people think you need to be trained (through discipline) not to rape and steal, others think that giving pople love and respect will do it. Some people think that without the threat of hellfire we'd all be sinners, others think that we have an inbuilt morality.

[Poll #216432]

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From:

drainboy.livejournal.com

It always amazes me that people think we have an inbuilt sense of morality when we don't even have an inbuilt ability to walk. Why? Because being able to learn everything from scratch to fit the specific environment you're born into gives you an evolutionary advantage (that environment including your very body). If you're born into a position where you can kill who you like to get the best food/women/whatever then you'll soon learn that as your morality. If you're not born into such a position then your morality will soon adapt to the level of "respect for human life" required to interact with other beings to give you an advantage by that route.

Your brain doesn't know what body or society its being born into, therefore it makes no presumptions and adapts to fit the niche apparently extended by your interactions with that environment. Hit another kid and steal their sweets without punishment and you'll fall into the bully role. Be given love and affection for being kind and you'll fit into a caring role. Find you can manipulate others and gain respect and power that way and you'll fall into a Machiavellian role. Your morality is just another aspect of the way you couple with your environment to improve your chances of survival and breeding.