We take this chapter a little slower since there are some big concepts to understand.  We look at Sam Harris’ attempt to define morality as being concerned with a creature’s well-being.  This measurable value gives morality a scientific component and allows it to be measured and objective.

Has Harris done what David Hume failed to do and given atheists a very big weapon in combating the claims of Christians?  That’s what we cover in this and the next two episodes.

Ethics is the principles by which people act morally. If the world is guided by evolution, where does morality come from? How do we make sense of what seems to be a strong desire to understand right and wrong? Does science hold the key to living our best atheist life now?

In this chapter, Mitch Stokes wants to clear up some misconceptions that both sides of moral realism seem to perpetuate.

Atheists need to provide a reason why anyone should be good. Some Christians insinuate that atheists should just go around being completely amoral. Both sides sometimes take part is talking past each other because morality is such an important and strongly felt topic.

We also get into what our friend, David Hume, attempted to form as his basis for a moral foundation. We then take that apart.

We come to the 3rd and final section of our book.  We open to the concept of morality and how the atheistic worldview deals with it.  With atheism, naturalism is the concept through which one looks at the world and all facts with.  Naturalism says nature is all there is – property and causes all have natural explanations.

So you can see where naturalism might have a little problem with the concept of objective moral standards.  How can one test that murder, rape, and lying are evil when those aren’t physical things?  And what is the Christian explanation?  Where should we stand?