Is It Possible for Atheists to Have "Objective Morality"?
Is It Possible for Atheists to Have "Objective Morality"?
I've heard this claim before that it is not possible for atheists to have "objective moral beliefs" because many moral claims are based on religious authority, which atheists do not believe in.
Thus atheists are subjectivists when it comes to morality: each atheist may disagree with the other about what is moral. Obviously this opens atheists up to problems of disagreements, with some who might believe very conventionally "immoral" things are acceptable for them.
This is not of course to say that atheists may not choose to live lives that are some what "moral" (moral, as is often defined by religions)
So, what's the status of the idea of "objective morality" and atheism?
You're viewing a single thread.
"Because God says so" isn't an objective basis - it's a subjective basis in which the entity making the subjective appraisal has been elevated to a purportedly ultimate position.
The difference between "because God says so" and "because Jeff who lives down the street says so" isn't one of kind, but merely one of (supposed) degree. God is simply treated as a more aithoritative source than Jeff, but that doesn't somehow elevate God's assertions to objectivity.
Well but so what's to moderate disagreements between Atheist A who believes one thing is right versus Atheist B who believes some other opposite thing is right?
Atheist C