Question

Morality seems to be a system of principles that tell you what you ought to do in reference to human well-being and how you should conduct yourself with others. But there are an infinite amount of assumptions I can base an ought out of. For example, I can simply state that humans should have sex 50 times a day. Or I can state that humans should all play soccer. Or I can state that humans should all kill themselves. What is the epistemic value of moral oughts compared to these oughts? Is it simply that humans have an evolved tendency to care about them? If so, this just why should we care about this?

Answer 1

The epistemic value of moral oughts lies in their basis on principles that promote human well-being and positive interpersonal interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The epistemic value of moral oughts compared to other assumptions such as humans having sex 50 times a day or humans playing soccer is that moral oughts are based on principles that promote human well-being and positive interpersonal interactions.

While there may be an infinite number of assumptions one can base an ought out of, morality provides a moral framework that is based on reason, human nature, and societal needs. The evolution of humans as social beings contributes to our tendency to care about moral oughts as they are essential for the functioning and harmony of human communities.