Morality as a Natural Human Phenomenon (Leaving Cert Religious Education): Revision Notes
Morality as a Natural Human Phenomenon
What is a natural phenomenon?
A phenomenon is something that can be observed and studied, typically something that is unusual or difficult to understand completely. A natural phenomenon occurs without any human interference - it happens naturally on its own.
Just as water naturally becomes clear or grass naturally wilts when it lacks water, morality can be seen as a natural part of human existence.
Understanding the concept of natural phenomena is crucial because it helps us recognise patterns in human behaviour that occur universally, across all cultures and time periods, without being deliberately taught or imposed.
Understanding morality as natural
Morality appears to be built into human nature. Every person develops their own moral standards about what is right and wrong. When we follow these standards, we feel satisfied and believe we are acting properly. However, when we act against our moral beliefs, we experience negative feelings like guilt.
This suggests that moral thinking happens automatically in humans - it's a natural part of who we are.
The key insight here is that moral responses appear to be automatic and universal. Unlike cultural practices that vary between societies, the basic capacity for moral thinking emerges naturally in all human communities.
Two key examples showing morality is natural
Example 1: Feeling guilt
Guilt provides clear evidence that morality is natural to humans. Here's how it works:
- Each person has their own moral standards about right and wrong
- When we follow these standards, we feel good about our actions
- When we act against these beliefs, we naturally experience guilt
Real-life Example: The Automatic Nature of Guilt
Imagine someone who believes lying is morally wrong. If a situation arises where they feel pressured to lie to another person, they might convince themselves it's the right thing to do in that moment. However, after telling the lie, they will likely experience guilt because they acted against their own moral beliefs. They may feel remorse and question whether it was the right decision.
This guilt response happens automatically - nobody teaches us to feel guilty. It emerges naturally when our actions conflict with our moral standards.
Example 2: Laws and codes of behaviour
Humans naturally create rules to govern behaviour in groups, which demonstrates our inherent moral nature.
School Example: Natural Rule Creation
When a new school has congested stairs, management naturally creates a rule like "stay left going up, allow others to descend on the right." This rule emerges from the practical need to solve a problem, but it's based on moral principles about fairness and consideration for others.
Island Community Example: Spontaneous Social Rules
If you were stranded on a small island with friends, the group would quickly develop rules for behaviour. These would include things that are morally important for community living - for instance, everyone would naturally agree not to eat, sleep, or sit where the toilet area is located. Why? Because it's disgusting, unhygienic, and unpleasant.
The group would create rules preventing people from doing inappropriate things and establishing guidelines for clean water sources. These rules emerge naturally from what the community views as morally correct or incorrect.
Why this proves morality is natural
Both examples show that humans automatically develop moral thinking without being taught:
- Guilt shows we naturally have internal moral standards
- Rule-making shows we naturally apply moral thinking to group situations
These moral responses happen in all human communities throughout history, suggesting they are a fundamental part of human nature rather than something we learn from culture alone.
Past exam questions to consider
Practice Questions for Further Study
2012 (20 marks): "Morality is a natural human phenomenon. Investigate one way in which evidence for this statement can be seen in Ancient Greek civilisation."
2023 (40 marks): "Morality is so deeply rooted in our everyday lives that it seems hard to imagine a society without moral rules. Investigate the evidence for this statement making reference to 2 examples of how morality can be seen as a natural human feature in the lives of people today."
Key Points to Remember:
- A natural phenomenon occurs without human interference - it happens automatically
- Morality appears to be natural because all humans develop moral standards
- Guilt proves we have internal moral standards that operate automatically
- Rule-making in groups shows we naturally apply moral thinking to communities
- These examples demonstrate that moral behaviour emerges naturally rather than being purely learned
- Understanding morality as natural helps explain why it appears in all human societies