Definition
Morality is the system of principles and judgments by which people distinguish right conduct from wrong. It covers questions of fairness, harm, care, loyalty, and justice, and the standards a community uses to praise or condemn behavior.
A long-running philosophical question is where morality comes from. Some traditions locate its source in divine command; others ground it in reason, in human nature, in social agreement, or in a combination of these. The God Delusion engages directly with this question.
Why it matters
How it works
On the naturalistic account Dawkins favors, basic moral feelings — empathy, guilt, a sense of fairness — are evolved dispositions, built up because cooperative ancestors fared better than purely selfish ones. Culture and reflection then refine these raw feelings into articulated codes.