Reasons Other than God to be Moral

             The Catholic Encyclopedia defines morality as "human conduct in so far as it is freely subordinated to the ideal of what is right and fitting." On the other hand, one definition that Encarta Encyclopedia gives for morality is "good or right, when judged by the standards of the average person or society at large." There are many different definitions of morality but most people would agree that morality is doing the 'right thing' for others or society. Morality is one of the bases of our society; we form our laws on the majority's opinions of what is right and wrong. Long ago, St. Augustine conceived the idea of the separation between church and state, and the idea took hold. This means that the laws for our society cannot be based on religion, but on the desire to have a peaceful, ordered society. So, humanity's overall need for a sound structure in our society gives us reasons, other than the belief in God, why we should act morally.
             First, our laws act as influences for people to act morally but the general desire to make the world a better place to live in is a reason for people to act morally. If people choose to do the right thing, then it will make life more comfortable for others and therefore help create a relatively peaceful society. Aristotle states that doing moral things leads to the attainment of happiness, which eventually leads to the achievement of true human potential. Friedrich Nietzsche, in The Gay Science, claims "God is dead" but most people do not realize it because the thought is too inconceivable; they are too scared of the chaos that this might create (124). However, the philosophers are happy because they are now free to have their own thoughts (343). This demonstrates how our society is not merely based on religion, but sadly only the philosophers realized this. Without religion, we should still live morally and life will go on; we need this structure t...

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Reasons Other than God to be Moral. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 19:44, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/79863.html