A Basis for Morality Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

A Basis for MoralityIn humanitys quest to distinguish itself from the rest of the animal world, a claim to devotion has long been one of its greatest arguments. Perhaps second only to basis as a distinguishing characteristic, the ability to exhibit moral behaviour instills in humans a distinct sense of natural order. Yet when anthropocentric egoism is dropped and we recognize that we are not, in fact, much antithetic from some other animals, our distinctive moral behavior begs explanation. What compels the majority of humans to behave chastely? Why do some not? How should we respond to behaviors that are each immoral or amoral? Do we possess an innate sense of morality, refractory by our neurobiology? Or to put it another ( more than provocative) way, is morality absolute?To buzz off understanding the causes of moral behavior, we moldiness understand what we mean by morality. First, it must be emphasized that the specifics of morality - whether a given instance of behavior is moral - is not in question here. Abortion may or may not be moral that is a very different question. At issue here is the question of why we choose one behavior over another on grounds of morality, and how it is possible that we give the gate consider behaviors in terms of right and wrong. This brings forth an assumption unquestioning in morality. In judging the morality or immorality of a behavior, we accept the assertion that the behavior is chosen by the actor. Any behavior that is not chosen is considered amoral, outside the realm of morality. Thus, free will is seen as a necessary predicate of morality. This assumption will be considered more thoroughly later.Morality itself may be considered in two separate behavior that directly affects other individuals and behavior ... ...sy.html5)Depression, from the National Institute for mental Health.http//www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/depressionmenu.cfm6)No Longer Gage A Glimpse into Sociability, Temperament, and the Brain, by Julia Johnson. 1998.http//serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Johnson.html7)Notes for Biology 202 Neurobiology and Behavior, by Paul Grobstein. 2001.http//serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper1/Johnson.html8)Simple Networks, Simple Rules Learning and Creating Categories, by Paul Grobstein. Applet by Bogdan Butoi. 1998.http//serendip.brynmawr.edu/ complexity/perceptron/learning1.html9)Reciprocal Altruism Cooperation Among Animals, by Joan Strassmann. 2000.http//dacnet.rice.edu/courses/bios321/lectures/Class11Recipalthtml/10)Free Will? by Paul Grobstein. 2000.http//serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/freewill1.html