I did read a book on ethics, but I have never found a reason: if all theological speculations are false, why should we be moral?

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[–]panel30 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

some thoughts (not being particularly careful here, just musing, but maybe there's something helpful in here):

  • a lot of things we think of as moral are also just good ideas. hygiene keeps you from getting sick. helping the people around you helps keep the group healthy and safe generally. being able to work effectively with others is a huge benefit. norms where the social environment is safer from attack from other humans benefit you. etc. there's research about altruism in non-human social groups and how it works and how it may have developed.

  • why not just pretend?: keeping up a deception is difficult especially over time. maybe easier to just actually be moral.

  • human retaliation and mimicry. if people see you do it they might do it back, or just try it out themselves.

Also, these books might have some related content, I happened upon them recently when looking for content about another (maybe related) topic. If they seem relevant, you can check the content at no charge on openlibrary.org or maybe your local public library:

  • Altruism: The Power of Compassion by Matthieu Ricard. Sortof a scientific-ish approach discussing some topics related to altruism. Author seems to have a background in genetics science and also in Buddhist spiritual teachings.

  • Capitalizing on Kindness by Kristin Tillquist. Being kind is compatible with and helpful for success in business.

  • Maybe: The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life by Piero Ferrucci. Discusses some different aspects of kindness and related topics.

[–]panel30 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

I think this topic is interesting, more thoughts, for anyone who wants to read I guess.

is it related to what you care about and your motivations for things? saving someone from a burning building because you want them to be ok, vs because you want to look good? this reminds me of how people recommend against "rewarding" people for something they do naturally anyway for intrinsic motivation reasons. that it's better to just let people do it for the intrinsic reason without trying to mess with it like that.