Q&A: Morality Without God
Morality Without God
Question
How does the Rabbi relate to someone who says he doesn’t believe in God, but he chooses morality because he is empathetic? He suffers when he sees another person in distress.
Or for example, he doesn’t want to be a hypocrite, and therefore he can’t demand that others behave morally while he himself does not act that way.
Thank you very much for all the answers you give me, and on the site in general.
Answer
I relate to him very positively. I relate to him as someone who chose to behave morally without belief in God. A good person, just not religious. Is there a question here?
Discussion on Answer
Indeed, you understood correctly. In my philosophical view, without belief in God there is no valid morality. But people do not always understand this, and so they conduct themselves morally even without believing. I suggested explaining such a situation in one of two ways: 1. Implicit belief (not conscious even to the person himself). 2. Inconsistency.
And I still don’t understand what the question is. What does it mean, how do I relate to this person? Am I supposed to serve him a cup of tea?
So maybe I didn’t understand the Rabbi’s view on this issue. I understood from the Rabbi that in the absence of God there is no basis for morality. I’d be glad if the Rabbi could explain, or point me in the right direction, as to the status of that person who behaves morally even though he does not believe in God. Or to sharpen the point of why, in the absence of God, there cannot be a basis for morality.