Babies make moral judgments

[Orbit]

Theists often say God or religion is the basis for morality. New research suggests morality is inborn.

 

"A stare down is a much less developed form of punishment, but if the authors are right, it could be the earliest sign of a moral compass in children, one that is possibly more inherent than learned."

 

Article here: https://www.sciencealert.com/babies-judge-and-punish-unfair-social-behavior-at-a-young-age-study-finds

[☆ pantheory ☆]

6 hours ago, Orbit said:

Theists often say God or religion is the basis for morality. New research suggests morality is inborn.

 

"A stare down is a much less developed form of punishment, but if the authors are right, it could be the earliest sign of a moral compass in children, one that is possibly more inherent than learned."

 

Article here: https://www.sciencealert.com/babies-judge-and-punish-unfair-social-behavior-at-a-young-age-study-finds

 

Babies can be judgemental (moral), but I think they learn it from their mom's and their surrounding culture since different cultures have completely different morals than others. Think of past cultures of cannibalism and slave-based cultures such as Sparta, war-based cultures, Gods of war, Honor-killing cultures, killing and torture based cultures, human sacrifice cultures, baby sacrifice cultures, etc. In biology man is simply a social mammal like chimps, dogs, elephants, dolphins, etc. For such pack animals the understanding and care for others of your same kind can be important. The understanding of some of this likely has a genetic basis in humans and other pack animals. 

[walterpthefirst]

This will be seized upon by theists who assert that what happened in Eden is historical fact.

 

Adam and Eve were created without a moral compass and acquired one upon tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree.

 

So, of course all babies have a moral compass.

 

 

But, if Adam and Eve had no moral compass, how could god expect them to choose to do good and not eat from that tree?

 

 

 

 

[sdelsolray]

It appears, according to the Genesis mythology, that Adam and Eve were never children.  They were created as adults.  

[walterpthefirst]

1 hour ago, sdelsolray said:

It appears, according to the Genesis mythology, that Adam and Eve were never children.  They were created as adults.  

 

Quite so.

 

My point was, that because Adam and Eve acquired a moral compass and because everyone is descended from them, everyone therefore has a moral compass.

 

Including babies, because they too are made in god's spiritual image, just as Adam and Eve were.

 

Which is why Christians who hold to a literal reading of scripture will seize upon the ScienceAlert article as confirming the Eden narrative as historical fact.

 

My apologies for not being clearer.

 

Thank you.

 

Walter.