Non-theists: From where do you draw your ethics?

[LuisDantas]

Ethics may actually come more easily to someone who does not believe in God. After all, if there is no such invisible hand guiding and protecting us, then we have no choice but to try to create it ourselves. There is some evidence that some people rely too much on their belief and fail to watch themselves.

As for the basis, I highly recommend Peter Singer's books for some thoughts on that. Particularly "How Are We to Live?". On a nutshell, ethics is useful for quality of life and it encourages others to do the same. It may be built mainly out of a sincere effort to obtain the cooperation and respect of others, directed by lots of rational analysis and real-life testing of hypothesis.

I like to crash-describe it as the existence of three questions that must be asked often and answered with the uttermost honesty:

- Who exactly am I right now, at this very moment?
- Who do I want to eventually become?
- What may I realistically do to further approach that goal?

Once I understood that they are indeed enough for me, it became quite easy to accept them.

[Sunstone]

I get my ethics from cereal boxes: the same place I get lots of other promotions and free give aways.