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morality

Why do we stop at red lights?  We stop at red lights so that we don't crash into another car.  Who decided that we have to stop at red lights?  Someone who saw the problem that if two cars are going in opposite directions, and they don't stop, they'll crash.  Why do we follow this rule?  Because we don't want to get hurt.  Who follows it?  Pretty much everyone... it's pretty accepted, in our country at least.  I think morality is something along similar lines.  Most of us know murdering is wrong, and it's against our morals to kill someone.  We accept this, because we wouldn't feel good about it, most likely, and because there are consequences, much like running a red light.  But who was the person who realized this in terms of morals?  Or was this something a society needed to evolve- a set of morals?  I think laws are one of the grounding principles in creating an effective society.  Laws set morals- I think, they're more official morals, rather than our individual opinions.  Where did morality come from?  I'd guess somewhere, someone realized that a group of people can never coexist unless they agree upon terms to coexist with.  I'd be interesting in finding out, if we have any record of it, the first morals, the first laws, that we can trace...

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