28/11/2025
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Objective Morality.
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The moral consensus on "Good and evil" is rooted in the interplay of psychology, neurology, and genetics, which predispose humans to sociality, cooperation, and empathy for evolutionary advantage.
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In simpler terms, psychology, neurology, and genetics explains the Objective Morality that exist within humans.
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These elements fostered an innate sense of right and wrong, ((independent of formal religion or law.))
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An innate objective morality among humans can be explained by the interplay of psychological mechanisms, specialized neurological networks, and an evolutionary and potentially partial genetic basis that promotes cooperation and social cohesion for species survival.
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● Psychology explains the moral consensus through evolved social behaviors and cognitive capacities that facilitate group living.
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» Empathy and Sympathy: Humans have an innate capacity for empathy (sharing feelings) and sympathy (concern for others' distress), which are vital for forming social bonds and motivating prosocial behavior. These capacities are observed even in very young children and other social animals, suggesting deep evolutionary roots.
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» Reciprocity and Fairness: Evolutionary psychology suggests strong social selection for individuals who cooperate well. A sense of fairness and an expectation of reciprocity are fundamental to maintaining social exchange and ensuring group members can rely on each other.
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» Theory of Mind (ToM): The ability to infer others' intentions, desires, motives, and beliefs (Theory of Mind) is crucial for moral judgment. Understanding that others have mental states similar to our own helps us predict behavior, navigate complex social interactions, and assign moral responsibility (e.g., distinguishing accidental harm from intentional harm).
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» Social Emotions: Emotions such as guilt, shame, pride, and moral disapproval help regulate behavior and enforce social norms, even in the absence of formal rules or divine commandments.
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● Neurology: The "moral sense" is regulated by specific brain mechanisms, pointing to an evolved neuromoral network.
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» Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPFC): This region is a central hub for processing morally charged stimuli, attaching emotional value to social events, and generating feelings of empathy and guilt. Damage to the VMPFC can result in a lack of emotional response to harming others and sociopathic behaviors.
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» Amygdala: Involved in processing basic emotions, threat response, and social and moral learning, the amygdala helps in identifying non-integrated emotional stimuli that are then processed by the prefrontal cortex.
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» Temporoparietal Junction (TPJ): This area is recruited when individuals consider the mental states and intentions of others (ToM) when making moral assessments.
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» Dual-Process Model: Moral decision-making often involves a conflict between automatic, emotionally-mediated responses (linked to the VMPFC and limbic system) and more deliberate, reasoned analysis (linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). The anterior cingulate cortex helps mediate this conflict.
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● Genetics provides the scaffolding for these moral capacities as a result of natural selection favoring traits that enhance group survival.
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» Heritable Predisposition: While specific moral codes are cultural, the capacity for developing a moral sense has a heritable basis. Genes influence the underlying cognitive and emotional mechanisms (like empathy and social motivation) that make morality possible.
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» Evolutionary Advantage: Behaviors like cooperation and altruism, though potentially costly to an individual, enhance the survival and reproductive success of the group. Natural selection promoted the development of cognitive abilities and emotions essential for social cohesion.
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» Gene-Culture Coevolution: The biological capacity for morality and cultural norms developed in tandem over human history. Genes created a propensity for social learning and adherence to group norms, while culture institutionalized these into specific moral rules, which in turn influenced human evolution.
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In essence, a common moral ground exists among humans because it is an deeply ingrained feature of human nature, a biological and psychological necessity for a highly social species to survive and thrive.
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Personal Note: All of (Human Nature, Human innate behavior, Human instincts and/or “Human objective moral truths”) were programmed into Human DNA by a creator.
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