NikeaMinott LanguageArts MoralityEssay February10,2014 TheCreationofMorality When given the question as to whether the conceptof morality is derived from

om chemicalswithin the brain, evolution of humans, and/or religion, there are obviously many viewpoints to this inquiry. One of the given theories as to where morality originated from is religion. This origin, unlike the other given theories, revolves around spiritual beliefs carried through generations of devotion and disciplinary morals that derived from a list of ten commandments. Morality has evolved due to the preachings and various translations of said rules brought forth from the Bible. A second theory is the farfetched belief that the occurrence of morality is given through a chemical (oxytocin) releasedwithin the brain.Based onthe neuroscience of this chemical, previous research has demonstrated how oxytocinisdischarged whenapersonis given a sign of trust.Oxytocinenablesapersonsmoralswhethertheybeofgoodormalevolentintent. Morality isthediverseidea of how oneshould tolive. There aremanyother distinctions howeverthat sum up the idea of morals. Invariousreligions therearewrittenrules thatarebelieved togrant aprosperous life to those that obey these commands. Morality derives from various concepts and examples ofrightand wrong, which are all providedthrough the appropriatereligious books. Althoughmoralscanobviously change according to given situations and religious laws are written in stone, religion has always been in sync with such a sensitive topic. According to an article excerptthat discusses the origin of morals,it isbelieved that the concept of religion is to fortify morality.1 Religion is the foundation thatmanycurrent morals are based onsuchasthegoldenrule. It isthroughanalyticalobservations and personal assessments thatcreatedesiresand wants. Such as in Buddhism where morality revolves around nonviolence, another example would be Christianity where morals are centered around The Ten Commandments. These common religions initially instil morality by simply living by a prewritten rule and/or law(s) that provide a holy wayoflife.Therefore,whois tosay that

HeStudiesWhereMoralsComeFrombyKellyMurray,CNN

morality does not come from religion? The text demonstrates that dates back centuries. the concept of moralsdatebackcenturiesago. Neurologically, it is also during these moments that the brains mirror neurons, neurons that send signals throughout the brain when another person is observed doing a certain action, are in effect. The neurons then imitate the action one is witnessing, enabling empathetic behavior including the chemical secretion of oxytocin within the brain. Based on ascientific belief, the actof moralityis triggeredwhen one person extends himself to another in a trusting way2. This idea even when put to the test in a given experimentinvolvingthedistributionofmoney,gavescientistsmixedresults. According to the given article, one chemical within the body cannot work alone, there are many factors towards having morals, suchasapersons lifeexperience as well.3 The psychological aspectsof the moral molecule are believed towork likeagyroscope,helping... maintainour balancebetween behavior based on trust and wariness and distrust.4 Despite the balance scientists believe that this chemical creates, a minor downfall to oxytocin is that it can be stopped by another hormone. The article statesthat testosterone is one of several other hormones that can interfere with the release of oxytocin. Working solely on thisidea that the brains chemicalprovidesonewithmorals, ifthechemical oxytocinis blocked off by another hormone, then that would imply that morality for the time being is dormant and therefore nonexistent. This excerpt supports the notion that perhaps the concept of morality may be much more broadanddistinguishedthanamerechemicalinthebrain. Although both theories are acceptable arguments in regards to the originofmorality,thebeginning of such a word however, began through religion. Whether one is religious or opposed to the mere idea of worshipping anunseen deityis not the mainfocusof thetext. The mainfocusis understandingwhat causes a person to want to be good and/or malevolent to others, and where those morals come from. Morals are philosophicalteachingsthatactasabeneficialguidetowardshowoneshouldtreatothers. The concept of religion is spiritual and connects to apersonswellbeing enabling the knowledgeof

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TheTrustMoleculebyPaulJ.Zak TheTrustMoleculebyPaulJ.Zak 4 TheTrustMoleculebyPaulJ.Zak

moral values and empathetic behavior. Oxytocin however, is merely achemical thatis triggered from asign of trust. Trust typically happens fast and is usually not longlasting. Religion has existed long before the word trust and it is through scriptures of the Bible that our forefathersbased their moralities andthefuture ofthenewworldupon.TheirmoralsstillstandreligiouslyasbeingonenationunderGod.