Do you think that morals are important?

No. I think there should be enough for everyone. So that we don’t have to care what people do in private and public.

Yes.
Without an abstract moral code you would always be in doubt about what to do. Your chances of making the right decision would diminish along with your chances of being effective, happy, even surviving.
Amorality is nothing more than risky confusion.

Whose morals?

Yes. It’s called a “moral compass” for a reason.

Yes, I believe we are all born with an innate moral code; something so basic that it is intrinsic to our DNA. I sometimes wonder if animals have the same code and if they don’t where did we derive it from.

Is it important? Yes, we are a social species and our moral code allows us to live and mingle in a communal setting. Without morals, society as we know it would not exist.

That being said, I think that people can choose to override their moral imperative and that many times business is used as an excuse to do so. It allows a person to justify being immoral (it is only business) or to put an additional layer between themselves and the immoral act (I don’t want to but I have to, company policy you know); a way to absolve themselves of wrongdoing by pinning the blame on a non-entity. This is how we will cease to be as a species.

BIG TIME. But I refer to them as personal ethics when in a public forum in order to not get sidelined and bogged down in idiotic arguments over semantics with chickenshit PC-type fence sitters who are scared to death of being judgmental of others—and the society they chose to live in. A determined life requires an ethical compass that enables one to decide what is right from wrong for themselves and to not surrender to the latest trend in ad populem bullshit. People find the word “ethics” more acceptable than “morals” in these discussions.

Down deep, there are no amoral people and anyone who claims they are is a hypocrite and ripe for having just the right button pushed. I used to love to be the one to do that to them, like pinning them against the wall on subjects like pedophilia. It was kind of like a hobby. But I was younger then and liked the role of the avenging angel. Now, not so much. It was like bullying inferiors.

Morals are important, but the specifics of what is moral cannot be precisely determined objectively. We have a duty to ourselves and also to others. Where do you draw the line? Are libertarians correct in saying everyone is entitled to whatever he can grab, or are Marxists correct in saying that each person should be provided according to his needs? We are forced to choose somewhere between the two extreme views.

Yes. They’re what make some of us civilized.

I think so. But morals can be different for different people,especially different generations. It used to be so immoral to have a baby out of wedlock the girls would be sent to a special home until the baby was born. Then, when she came back the contortions to hide the truth were astonishing.

I had an aunt whose father tried to kill the boy who got her pregnant. Literally. Her brothers had to pull him off of him.
The boy joined the navy. My aunt got married to another man, and her husband adopted the child. Growing up the other kids never knew their sister was their half sister. Pretty big shock when they found out after they were grown.

Today is no thang, man, which is good in some ways, and bad in others.

You mean honesty, integrity, not being a thief, a liar, a cheater, a scoundrel, a rapist, a murderer, a gold digger, a greedy bastard that doesn’t care who they step on as long as they get theirs, well duh…yeah. This is why about 90% of the population needs to spontaneously combust. lol

I think some of you are interchanging morality, which has an objective standard, and social convention, which may or may not have an objective standard.

Which means that, as so often happens on Fluther, you will start “talking past” one another and the thread will become a dog chasing its tail. One reason why people get pissed off and leave.

Just sayin

@josie In a cooperative society the things I mention are the backbone of solid relationships and a well functioning society. Nothing subjective about that.

@josie, Are you sure that morality has an objective standard? What is the objective standard telling if and when it is okay to have an abortion?

@josie GRRRRRRR! WOOF! WOOF!!