Is Morality a learned behavior, instinctive or a combination?

Question

Very good answer Helio Centrist. We think alike. I have asked this question in other forums and have gotten some very indepdth and insightful answers. However, not one person, other than you, spoke of empathy and how we deal with and act around other humans. If we had no one else around to impress, or live with, then how would we act or react in our envirionment if we were all alone and had always been alone since birth?

Answer 1

*  Morality is what society expects from people. So, in effect, it's learned behaviour.

*  But one's capacity to be moral could be learned + instinctive.  ( Instinctive - possibly due to one's genes + the result of the consolidation of one's learned behaviour + one's own thoughts on the subject.)

Answer 2

Both. Critters know fear and compasion, they steal and run, chase n hide. Humans, well, children know it's ok to be naked,  adults make it indecent. Oooooooooo, I'm tellin' Ya mudda'! That's a great point, "being alone". I have often told people "why would you steal from yourself?" I chat at a Taoist site and someone posed the same question the other day.  Jody

Answer 3

a little of instinct, but mainly learned

Answer 4

I think it's a combination.

I think that we do have some morality ingraved in us, but a lot has to be learned. Rights and wrong such as being loud in public would have no reason to naturally exist in us, so we must learn them.

Answer 5

it's a sideeffect of logic and emotions.

Answer 6

The truth is that neither religions nor gods are necessary for morality, ethics, or values. They can exist in a godless, secular context....there is no universal morality - that all morality is simply relative to time, place, and culture.

Answer 7

learned behavior

Answer 8

When children are born, they think that they are the center of the universe. They cry and big people try to satisfy their wants and needs to make them stop.

Eventually, however, they come to realize that other living things feel pain, need to eat and are basically much like they are.

The basis for morality is a feeling of empathy. Whether it is reciprocal in nature ("if I don't harm you, perhaps you will not harm me"), or logical ("since I desire to be left unharmed, I see no reason to cause you harm"), it is the realization that what they do in life effects others and vice versa.

Morality is what you do when nobody is watching because you see it as the appropriate thing to do.

Answer 9

Morality is a learned behaviour and depends on the culture. Gradually it becames instinctive with age.

Answer 10

Some learned (lots of sexual stuff), some ingrained in our biology (defending loved ones).  Could go into more detail but I'm tired.  good ? though