First published at 10:50 UTC on March 20th, 2024.
Today, I take a deep dive into the ethical discourse surrounding one of society's most fundamental agreements: the immorality of murder. Far from the realms of divine command, we explore several secular frameworks that offer robust justificatio…
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Today, I take a deep dive into the ethical discourse surrounding one of society's most fundamental agreements: the immorality of murder. Far from the realms of divine command, we explore several secular frameworks that offer robust justifications for why murder is universally condemned. This journey isn't just about affirming our collective intuition that murder is wrong; it's about understanding the foundations of this belief through the lens of human rights, social contract theory, societal well-being, and evolutionary biology.
First, we consider fundamental human rights, which posits the right to life as a cornerstone. This approach appeals to our collective agreement on what it means to live in a society that values each individual. Following this, we delve into social contract theory, a crucial pillar of any functioning society. Here, the consensus that actions detrimental to societal welfare, such as murder, are to be avoided underscores the mutual benefits of cooperative living.
We also examine the broader effects of murder on society, emphasizing how it fosters suffering and undermines collective well-being. This perspective highlights the pragmatic reasons for eschewing violence: a stable and flourishing society is in everyone's best interest. Additionally, we explore the role of evolution in shaping our social norms. As a social species, humans have evolved to prioritize group cooperation and empathy, recognizing that behaviors threatening these values, like murder, are fundamentally counterproductive.
Through this episode, I aim to shed light on the multifaceted ways we can understand the prohibition against murder without resorting to religious or divine explanations. By embracing empathy, compassion, and rational thought, we can appreciate the ethical principles that guide our social contracts and ensure the survival and prosperity of our communities.
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