Welcome to the first article in the series known as Phillip Flopping, a series created by Phillip Davis and me in an attempt to provide both sides of varying arguments. In order to create a fair argument please read his piece on the opposite side of this argument, as you cannot truly understand an argument without looking at both sides. This is a glossary article, merely highlighting a part of a larger argument for either a pro or a con, so I would also advise you to do research on the subject matter before taking a side. Finally, I would also like to say that not all the points argued throughout the series that Phillip and I will do will be our own, as we have similar thoughts on plenty of subjects. However, one needs two sides to make an argument, so here a small piece of the whole.
As a species we have advanced from mere cave men with rocks, to mighty cave men with electricity. The journey was long and arduous, but we are here none the less. Yet like the rocks we left behind so long ago, there are some social behaviors that are becoming increasingly obsolete in today’s society. One of these social behaviors is something that will seem unorthodox, but the evolutionary benefit of it is slowly fading. How much do you really need morals?
Now if you seemed shocked by this idea, I would say that you’re in the vast majority. From birth we have a certain set of values ingrained upon us, which later translates into the development of more complex behaviors, which we later deem morals. To say that morals are no longer needed is absurd, crazy, and would surely lead our society down into a path of anarchy, or would it?
In order to make a clear argument, the distinction must be made of where the origins of morals come from. Two routes are ultimately laid ahead, either they are innately within us by some divine being, or they are an evolutionary trait that is developed as people grow. For this article the latter will be focused on. Stating that morals evolved rather than are an innate part of your being rids the argument that morals cannot be unlearned. Now since morals are an evolved behavior, originating with the goal of creating behaviors that would be beneficial to our fledgling societies, they can be classified as a learned behavior.
If a behavior can be learned, then it can also be unlearned. Morals developed with the goal of creating a society, but now that we already have one the need for a moral obligation to help others is greatly reduced. In place of random individuals completing tasks we have created entire sectors of jobs to achieve the means towards the end. So unless you have the proper training to help someone in the way they need, there is no obligation to do so.
Our society is already embracing this new way of thinking. Many have called our generation greedy, self-centered, but it’s really the start to a more individualistic approach to life, one where you don’t feel the urge to help someone because of a funny feeling in your gut.
