[[File:Morality.gif|right|200px300px]]
'''Morality''' consists of right and wrong in one's personal conduct. Various forms of [[atheism]] and [[libertarianism]] can mislead someone into ignoring the importance of morality in guiding him to a productive life.
According to some theists, only by basing morals on [[God|God's]] standards can morality have any sort of absolute basis.
Janine M. Ramsey:
{{QuoteBox|Evil and good do objectively exist because they emanate from the fact that there is an unchanging, omniscient (all-knowing), and holy God. These are not [[Subjectivism|subjective ]] opinions invented and written down by man. Rather, ‘good’ expresses the innate characteristics of God Himself that He has built into every human being, and every human being is responsible to live up to those standards. And the absence of good defines evil.<ref>Ramsey, 2004</ref>}}
One standard objection to this view is the [[Euthyphro]] dilemma, posed by Socrates in the dialogue Euthyphro, in which Socrates asks whether a thing is made pious (or just, right) because [[Divine command theory|the Gods love (approve of, command) it]], or if the Gods love certain things because they are just and right. If the former, then it seems that God's commands would not be objectively valid, but arbitrary whims. If the latter, then morality has an independent existence from God's commands; God is good because God always does the right thing, but they are not made the right thing simply because God commanded them. Morality would then need to have some further, independent ground which might be discoverable independent of religion.
== Moral intelligence ==
''See also:'' [[Moral intelligence]] and [[Forgiveness]] and [[Empathy]]
According to the National Institutes of Health: [[Moral intelligence]] (MI) "can be referred to as human's capacity to distinguish right from wrong and to apply moral principles to humans' intentions, goals, beliefs, values, and actions."<ref>[Investigation of moral intelligence’s predictive components in students of Shahid Beheshti university of medical sciences (SBMU)], ''Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine''. 2020; 13: 13.
Published online 2020 Sep 20. doi: 10.18502/jmehm.v13i13.4389</ref>
[[Howard Gardner]], the noted intelligence expert who developed the [[Theory of multiple intelligences|multiple intelligence]] methodology of measuring intelligence suggested that moral intelligence may merit being included in his multiple intelligence model.<ref>[http://infed.org/mobi/howard-gardner-multiple-intelligences-and-education/ Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education]</ref>
Keld Jensen wrote in ''Forbes'' magazine that moral intelligence directly follows [[emotional intelligence]] as it deals with "integrity, responsibility, sympathy, and [[forgiveness]]. The way you treat yourself is the way other people will treat you. Keeping commitments, maintaining your integrity, and being honest are crucial to moral intelligence."<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/sites/keldjensen/2012/04/12/intelligence-is-overrated-what-you-really-need-to-succeed/ Intelligence Is Overrated: What You Really Need To Succeed] by Keld Jensen, ''Forbes'', 4/12/2012</ref> See also: [[Empathy]]
== Work ethic ==
[[File:Niall Ferguson.jpg|thumbnail|200px|right|The [[Harvard University]] historian [[Niall Ferguson]] declared: "Through a mixture of hard work and thrift the [[Protestantism|Protestant]] societies of the North and West Atlantic achieved the most rapid economic growth in history."<ref>[http://blog.tifwe.org/the-protestant-work-ethic-alive-well-in-china/ The Protestant Work Ethic: Alive & Well…In China] By Hugh Whelchel on September 24, 2012</ref> ]]
''See also:'' [[Work ethic]] and [[Work ethic#Building a strong work ethic|Building a strong work ethic]]
The [[Bible]] has many verses advocating industriousness.<ref>
*[https://www.openbible.info/topics/hard_work Bible versus on working hard], OpenBible.org
*[https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-work/ 20 Bible Verses about Work], BibleStudyTools.org
*[https://www.christianity.com/bible/bible-verses-about-hard-work-85 Bible versus on hard work], Christianity.com
*[https://www.womansday.com/life/g30618770/bible-verses-hard-work/ 15 Bible Verses About Hard Work and Determination], Woman's Day
*[https://christian.net/resources/bible-verses-about-hard-work/ 40 Bible Verses About Hard Work For God], Christian.net</ref> [[Puritan]] society in [[New England]] in the 17th and 18th century exemplified the work ethic.
The [[work ethic]] consists of choosing productive work over unproductive activities, in order to improve the condition of oneself, one's family, and society at large.
==Morality based on evolution==
Some [[biology|biologists]] argue that morality grew out of behavioral rules shaped by [[Theory of evolution|evolution]]. They see social behaviors displayed by some [[primate]]s as the precursors of human morality. They cite examples such as [[rhesus monkey]]s which, when given a chance to get food by pulling a chain that delivers a shock to another monkey, have been known to [[starvation|starve]] themselves for a considerable time.<ref>"Primates and Philosophers" by Frans de Waal</ref>
Dr. [[Frans de Waal]] argues that primates are social animals, and must constrain their behavior in order to live in a group. He maintains that these constraints have shaped behaviors from which human morality has emerged. He does not assert that chimpanzees are moral, but argues that emotional bases that can be observed among primates are the foundation for the evolution of human morality.
He points to the display of both [[empathy]] and self-awareness among apes, and asserts that human morality begins with a similar concern for others and the understanding of social rules about the treatment of others.<ref>New York Times: [httphttps://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/science/20moral.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5124&en=84f902c89c5a9173&ex=1332043200&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink "Scientist Finds the Beginnings of Morality in Primate Behavior"]</ref>
However, these arguments presume evolution to be true.
''See also:'' [[Atheism and morality]]
Lacking a transcendent, objective moral authority (such as the Bible), [[atheism ]] relies on subjective sources. The basis of morality for some [[atheism|atheists]] is their own opinion.
[[Bertrand Russell]], for example, said that his opinions on right and wrong were based on his feelings.<ref>'''Bertrand Russell:''' You see, I feel that some things are good and that other things are bad. I love the things that are good, that I think are good, and I hate the things that I think are bad. I don't say that these things are good because they participate in the Divine goodness.<br>
* [[Virtue]]
* [[Ethics]]
* [[Habit]]
* [[Immorality]]
* [[Moral relativism]]
* [[Moral degeneration]]
* [[Ten Commandments]]
* [[Five Precepts]]
* [[Cause and effect]]
* [[Hippocratic Oath]] and [[Oath of the Hindu Physician]]
* [[Medical ethics]] and [[Bioethics]]
* [[Pacifism]]
* [[Nonviolence]]
* [[Ahimsa]] [[Dharma]]
* [[Christianity in Conservapedia]]
* [[Values]]
** [[Conservative values]]
** [[Libertarianism|Libertarian values]]
** [[American values]]
** [[Small town values]]
** [[Family values]]
versus:
** [[Liberal values]]
** [[Public school values]]
** [[Hollywood values]]
** [[San Francisco values]]
** [[Fashion industry values]]
** [[Professor values]]
== Bibliography ==