Do I need to have a 'greater authority' to know that murder is wrong? I don't believe in god. But I believe that murder is wrong. What is my logical reason to hold to rules that I don't 'need' to be bound to?

Comments

I don't know why you think that belief or otherwise in God is relevant to this issue. You hold certain moral beliefs, including that murder is wrong. You might have this view because of the role that murder plays in some of your other beliefs, such as the importance of human life and the need for people to respect the autonomy of others. These beliefs would give you a logical reason to disapprove of murder, it seems to me.

If you think murder is wrong just because this is a feeling you have, then I can see why you might think it is not a belief you are bound to have. You could still link it logically with other beliefs you do think you have reasons for accepting, and hence establish a rationale for it.

You may think that morality has to be grounded in religion, but this would surely be wrong. The idea that we do good things and avoid evil because God has told us to act in this way does not do justice to morality even for most theists. For one thing, if God stands behind ethics, this would give us a powerful non-moral motive for being good, which might of course make us act better but perhaps not for the right reasons.

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