This analysis examines the role of secular ethics in guiding interpersonal behavior, suggesting implications for social cooperation.
Ethics are not absolute in a sense that they are independent of society; they are an invention of human beings. Every invention has its purpose and the purpose of ethics is to provide a stable standard of interpersonal behavior so that society can function smoothly and people can interact in a productive and cooperative way. Human beings are basically social animals so this fulfills a deep instinct and acts as a survival mechanism (since humans survive better through cooperation). Does this mean that ethics are meaningless?
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Mahadevagouda et al. (2026) studied this question.
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