3. The Nature and Basis of Morality

Some General Considerations Concerning Human Behaviour Our topic in this chapter is to be ‘human behaviour’. Let’s begin by explaining our terms. By ‘human behaviour’ we do not mean simply ‘how we human beings behave’ but ‘how we as human beings ought to behave’. Understood in this way, our book’s title suggests that there is such a thing as truly human behaviour, different, for instance, from sub-human or mere animal behaviour; and that to be truly human, we must behave in a truly human way. We have, of course, a lot in common with animals, and to some extent we behave in the same way. When animals get hungry, they eat; so do we. When they get thirsty, they drink; so do we. They mate and produce offspring; so do humans. Nature, or instinct, call it what you please, dictates this behaviour. But very soon we discover that there is a whole dimension to human behaviour that is lacking in animals: we have a moral sense, animals, as far as we can observe, do not. You can train your dog, if you have one, not to go into your neighbour’s house and steal meat off the table. You can train it by whacking it every time it attempts to enter the house. Thereafter, entering the house will be asso...