Being “good” means acting in accord with the natural values of freedom, equality, honesty, and generosity (see overview of natural philosophy). But - without fear of hell, reward of heaven, Karmic retribution, or the coercion of law - why should we live in accord with these values?
The answer is simple. When the natural values are violated the result is destruction (see origins of conflict). At the international level, excessive violation of the natural values results in violent conflicts and war (see geopolitics of morality). While actions that are in accord with the natural values promote life. Now let us try to make this concept a bit more tangible.
Your House
Suppose you live in a great city. You are building a house for yourself, your family, your children, your friends, and for future generations to enjoy. To build this house well you need to work in accord with the finest principles of construction.
You probably want to build the house on a strong foundation, and construct it from materials that would make it last for a long time. You would also want the house to be comfortable and practical for daily life. But why should you bother to build in accord with the finest principles of construction, and not make shortcuts in your work? What would you get in return for your work?
The answer to these questions is self-evident. This is your house. If you build it well the reward would be the product of your labor. If you don’t build it well - and make shortcuts in your work - the result would be ruinous to you and to those around you. This house is your life. The principles of construction are your values.
Do you really need to believe in a supervisor (God) who will give you a reward if you do a good job, or punish you if you don’t? Of course not! Your reward is the product of your labor. If you don’t do the work well the punishment would be the destructive effect of your shortcomings.
There is no need for any external rewards or punishments to promote such good behavior. In fact, external rewards can only corrupt our work: if your incentive is to avoid a fine from the government, you would make all the shortcuts you can get away with. If it is Karmic retribution, you would still make shortcuts here and there - as long as these are not too severe. And if the reward is absolute (heaven or hell), you would do the work just good enough to avoid damnation.
If the primary motivation for your actions is extraneous to the intrinsic purpose of your actions your performance will deteriorate. The greater the external reward - the worse the behavior. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but this concept has been experimentally demonstrated over and over again.
The Supervisor
Nonetheless, there are many people who believe that the reward of their work is absolute: they either get to enjoy eternal bliss in heaven, or eternal torment in hell. But they think that they will only get the reward if they believe in a supervisor. Not only that, but they also believe that this supervisor has revealed himself to superstitious peasants many centuries ago, and gave them a guidebook with the divine principles of construction - for all to follow until the end of time.
This guidebook has construction principles that far predate the modern era. This means that the house must be made out of mud and sandstone, and cannot have gas, electricity, or running water. But who needs gas, electricity, or running water? According to the guidebook these are just contrivances for the pleasures of the flesh - they “corrupt the purity of the soul” and “tear the fabric of society.”
Is there any reason then to believe in the “perfection and beauty” of these divine construction principles? Is there any doubt that such primitive construction principles could not have possibly come from God? Or are we to believe that we must continue to follow - to the end of time - the same construction principles as did primitive Middle Eastern tribes many centuries ago. Are we to believe that it is impossible to build a house well without a guidebook that came from the divine? Or that without a supervisor nothing would prevent us from destroying our own house? I hope the answer to all these questions is clear and self-evident - absolutely not!
City of Men
Just like you would work in accord with the finest principles to build your house well, you would also want to act in accord with the finest principles to make your city thrive - after all, this is your city! These principles are the natural values of freedom, equality, honesty, and generosity.
Acting in accord with these values would enable you, your family, friends, neighbors, and future generations to enjoy life and prosper in this great city. On the other hand, if you come short of these values the results would be ruinous to you and to those around you.
Yet, you live in a great city. There are many people who live in this city beside you. Some of them are your family, friends, and neighbors. And many of these people do not always act in accord with the natural values (you may even be in this group). This means that many of the things these people do are harmful to the city’s welfare, and even to your own well-being.
But why do they do these destructive acts? Perhaps they don’t understand that their actions are destructive. Maybe they live under the delusion that their destructive behavior is actually virtuous. Or maybe they want to gain some shortsighted payoff through these actions - without seeing the long-term consequences.
Socrates said that “if you know what the good is, you will always do what is good.” I would have to qualify this statement and add: “..unless you are addicted to the bad.”
So how can we prevent people from committing destructive acts, and promote constructive behavior? In other words, how can we convince people to do that which is manifestly in their own best interest? Should we just put everyone who commits bad acts in jail? Surely not. Such thinking is neither realistic nor effective. Because that would probably mean that most of the population would end up in jail. The only sensible solution is education.
But what if people are so accustomed to their destructive behavior that they do it instinctively. What if they are so addicted to their pattern of behavior that no rational argument would do. Well, I never claimed this would be easy. But as I’ve explained - before people can change their behavior, they first need to realize that these behaviors are destructive (see education: #4 unconscious & unskilled). Rehabilitation is a slow and gradual process.
Salvation and Paradise
Then what about all the thieves and criminals? Should they at least go to jail? Obviously, if someone is a serious threat to the well-being of others he should be restrained. But punishment for the sake of vengeance is neither moral nor useful.
Life is prosperous thanks to the contributions of the past and present generations. The inventions and innovations, discoveries and enterprises, artistry and hard work, and the dedication to raise and educate children. Life is diminished by the abuse and torture, war and oppression, rape and pillage, murder and destruction of past and present generations. No sacrifice can change or erase the faults of the past.
The depraved actions that we and others committed in the past are done. We can regret and mourn the losses, but we cannot go back in time and revive the dead, or recover a destroyed home. No amount of prayer or submission to a supposed deity can change the past. Our only salvation is to build on top of the ruins, and act now to change the future. If we act in accord with the natural values, we’ll be one step closer to making our world a paradise.
Taken from: Geopolitics.us : Why should We be Good? : Salvation and Paradise
The answer is simple. When the natural values are violated the result is destruction (see origins of conflict). At the international level, excessive violation of the natural values results in violent conflicts and war (see geopolitics of morality). While actions that are in accord with the natural values promote life. Now let us try to make this concept a bit more tangible.
Your House
Suppose you live in a great city. You are building a house for yourself, your family, your children, your friends, and for future generations to enjoy. To build this house well you need to work in accord with the finest principles of construction.
You probably want to build the house on a strong foundation, and construct it from materials that would make it last for a long time. You would also want the house to be comfortable and practical for daily life. But why should you bother to build in accord with the finest principles of construction, and not make shortcuts in your work? What would you get in return for your work?
The answer to these questions is self-evident. This is your house. If you build it well the reward would be the product of your labor. If you don’t build it well - and make shortcuts in your work - the result would be ruinous to you and to those around you. This house is your life. The principles of construction are your values.
Do you really need to believe in a supervisor (God) who will give you a reward if you do a good job, or punish you if you don’t? Of course not! Your reward is the product of your labor. If you don’t do the work well the punishment would be the destructive effect of your shortcomings.
There is no need for any external rewards or punishments to promote such good behavior. In fact, external rewards can only corrupt our work: if your incentive is to avoid a fine from the government, you would make all the shortcuts you can get away with. If it is Karmic retribution, you would still make shortcuts here and there - as long as these are not too severe. And if the reward is absolute (heaven or hell), you would do the work just good enough to avoid damnation.
If the primary motivation for your actions is extraneous to the intrinsic purpose of your actions your performance will deteriorate. The greater the external reward - the worse the behavior. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but this concept has been experimentally demonstrated over and over again.
The Supervisor
Nonetheless, there are many people who believe that the reward of their work is absolute: they either get to enjoy eternal bliss in heaven, or eternal torment in hell. But they think that they will only get the reward if they believe in a supervisor. Not only that, but they also believe that this supervisor has revealed himself to superstitious peasants many centuries ago, and gave them a guidebook with the divine principles of construction - for all to follow until the end of time.
This guidebook has construction principles that far predate the modern era. This means that the house must be made out of mud and sandstone, and cannot have gas, electricity, or running water. But who needs gas, electricity, or running water? According to the guidebook these are just contrivances for the pleasures of the flesh - they “corrupt the purity of the soul” and “tear the fabric of society.”
Is there any reason then to believe in the “perfection and beauty” of these divine construction principles? Is there any doubt that such primitive construction principles could not have possibly come from God? Or are we to believe that we must continue to follow - to the end of time - the same construction principles as did primitive Middle Eastern tribes many centuries ago. Are we to believe that it is impossible to build a house well without a guidebook that came from the divine? Or that without a supervisor nothing would prevent us from destroying our own house? I hope the answer to all these questions is clear and self-evident - absolutely not!
City of Men
Just like you would work in accord with the finest principles to build your house well, you would also want to act in accord with the finest principles to make your city thrive - after all, this is your city! These principles are the natural values of freedom, equality, honesty, and generosity.
Acting in accord with these values would enable you, your family, friends, neighbors, and future generations to enjoy life and prosper in this great city. On the other hand, if you come short of these values the results would be ruinous to you and to those around you.
Yet, you live in a great city. There are many people who live in this city beside you. Some of them are your family, friends, and neighbors. And many of these people do not always act in accord with the natural values (you may even be in this group). This means that many of the things these people do are harmful to the city’s welfare, and even to your own well-being.
But why do they do these destructive acts? Perhaps they don’t understand that their actions are destructive. Maybe they live under the delusion that their destructive behavior is actually virtuous. Or maybe they want to gain some shortsighted payoff through these actions - without seeing the long-term consequences.
Socrates said that “if you know what the good is, you will always do what is good.” I would have to qualify this statement and add: “..unless you are addicted to the bad.”
So how can we prevent people from committing destructive acts, and promote constructive behavior? In other words, how can we convince people to do that which is manifestly in their own best interest? Should we just put everyone who commits bad acts in jail? Surely not. Such thinking is neither realistic nor effective. Because that would probably mean that most of the population would end up in jail. The only sensible solution is education.
But what if people are so accustomed to their destructive behavior that they do it instinctively. What if they are so addicted to their pattern of behavior that no rational argument would do. Well, I never claimed this would be easy. But as I’ve explained - before people can change their behavior, they first need to realize that these behaviors are destructive (see education: #4 unconscious & unskilled). Rehabilitation is a slow and gradual process.
Salvation and Paradise
Then what about all the thieves and criminals? Should they at least go to jail? Obviously, if someone is a serious threat to the well-being of others he should be restrained. But punishment for the sake of vengeance is neither moral nor useful.
Life is prosperous thanks to the contributions of the past and present generations. The inventions and innovations, discoveries and enterprises, artistry and hard work, and the dedication to raise and educate children. Life is diminished by the abuse and torture, war and oppression, rape and pillage, murder and destruction of past and present generations. No sacrifice can change or erase the faults of the past.
The depraved actions that we and others committed in the past are done. We can regret and mourn the losses, but we cannot go back in time and revive the dead, or recover a destroyed home. No amount of prayer or submission to a supposed deity can change the past. Our only salvation is to build on top of the ruins, and act now to change the future. If we act in accord with the natural values, we’ll be one step closer to making our world a paradise.
Taken from: Geopolitics.us : Why should We be Good? : Salvation and Paradise