Are objective moral values real?

Questions of Faith

Plenty of secular accounts pertaining to morality co-exist in the world today – some hold that objective moral values are real; others that moral actions can be reduced down to evolutionary behaviour; and many that morals don’t exist at all but have been created to allow for a functioning society.

In opposition to some of these accounts, the Church teaches that morality is objective, that is to say, certain acts are either good or bad independent of one’s opinion. To take an example, the Church believes that murder or rape is always morally wrong, regardless of the circumstances.

“There are acts which, in and of themselves, independently of circumstances and intentions, are always gravely illicit by reason of their object; such as blasphemy and perjury, murder and adultery. One may not do evil so that good may result from it.” (CCC 1756)

Those who commit such heinous acts are not merely going against the social grain, but are doing something that is bad.

A quote attributed to St Augustine best describes this viewpoint: “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”

Actions

It’s very difficult to argue that morality isn’t objective; conceding to this point means maintaining that all moral actions are in some sense permissible. Our moral experience speaks to us every day, and acts as reminder that good and bad exist. If, however, moral values are objective, it follows that there must be an objective law-giver who embodies these values.

Atheists philosophers, like Sam Harris, hold that objective moral values are real without God – we can all agree that a world where everybody is suffering every second is bad, so our basis for morality should be striving to create a world as far away from this as possible. But while subjectively feeling immense pain would be awful and undesirable for everybody, this experience tells us nothing about whether it actually is bad.

The Church holds that moral values can be traced back to God who is intrinsically good and the more closely an action conforms to God’s nature, the better it is. Catholics can learn about these moral values in Scripture – for example, the Ten Commandments teach us about moral duties.

If moral values are objective, it follows that there must be an objective law-giver who embodies these values”

While biblical exegesis can help us learn more about right and wrong, the Church teaches that this divinely-inspired book isn’t necessary to know the difference between the two, as God has written the moral law in our hearts. By prudently listening to our fully-formed conscience, we can internally realise that a moral code exists.

“Deep within his conscience man discovers a law which he has not laid upon himself but which he must obey. Its voice, ever calling him to love and to do what is good and to avoid evil, sounds in his heart at the right moment…For man has in his heart a law inscribed by God…his conscience is man’s most secret core and his sanctuary. There he is alone with God whose voice echoes in his depths.”