To the Question of "Can Atheists be Moral?" 1. Definition of morality to be considered - A system of beliefs which influence interpersonal behavior-social skills, to an end of a.)[The restriction] of; [socially destructive actions], and b.)[The reinforcement] of; [socially productive actions] Where compatibility is measured by the evolved and established society of the subjective perspective.
2. Cultural moral variances.
Shorthand extreme:
a.) A moral action, an immoral action and amoral actions as measured by Sharia Law
Will differ from...
b.) as measured according to a hypothetical, Secular western culture.
System A. - - Psychological Hypothesis; Religious Perspective - - (Common idea why people think religion makes people moral)
a.) The premise that if someone believes in an objective law-giver...
b.) ... then that person is more likely to act as if being watched all the time by this moral objector...
b.) Which, liken to a security camera, this person is someone they can "Trust"
[Contrast] - i.) Precludes the individual beliefs emphasize humans are heavily prone to the perspectives notion of [Negative Behaviors]
[Psychological Cause and Mechanism] - Cognitive profile required to trust above mentioned system of morality is of low depth. Why... a.) Theory of mind is limited to simplistic stereotypes of extreme cases.
b.) The fact that the perspective is unable to consider the possibility that an individual is capable of moral actions without being watched, is likely endemic to internalized thought processes, transposed into theory of mind perspective.
= Conclusion: System is moral on the presumption of being watched and is thus subject to external definitions of morality, of that perspective; and is likely incapable of abstract adaptation in necessary situations. *(Probably sucks hard at moral dilemma)*
System B. - - Psychological Theory; Evo-Bio, Neuro Psych/Soc - - ((Secular/Atheistic Morality) > Based on functioning Neuropsychological theory and behavioral frameworks.
1. Defining Framework: Moral framework is subject to individuals ability to cognitively generate theoretical mental and social schemata. - How effectively they can imagine the responses and results of their actions on the people and groups in which they interact with.
2. Moral framework is also subject to the ability to empathize with the results they relate to.
3. Moral framework is plastic in this state; Able to learn new perspectives in a changing world.
+ Actions observed to be constructive to society => will be included in social-Moral Inference. - Actions observed to be negative and/or destructive socially; => will be subject to behavioral extinction, and excluded from the social-moral inference framework. Observation: System B is organic and capable of adaptation and error correction, while System A is not. = Conclusion: System A is destructive socially, and cannot be qualified as contributing to society, and is thus not moral. = = ANSWER: Only Atheistic belief system are capable of morality, while religious belief systems are capable only of establishing laws around socially constructed moral framework.
