by KESHAV PRASAD VARMA | Feb 14, 2017 | Ethics
Ethical behavior is the firm ground under the feet on which a civilized society walks. Ethics defines what right conduct is and what is not. It draws from moral values which, in turn, are framed by religion. Every tenet of ethics can thus be traced to some religious dictum or belief. Conversely, what religion does not approve cannot be a part of ethical conduct. If that is how ethics is defined and ethical code of conduct has evolved, can an ethical life be lived without support from religion? Is it possible? Let us see if there is any historical evidence of it. Atheist Philosophy provides some testimony that it may be possible. Atheists are non- believers and do not follow religion. They have always been part of the human society though never in significant numbers and rarely conspicuous. ‘Charvaka’ was one such sect in India which has been mentioned as early as the 6th century BCE. Atheism as a modern philosophical stream came into its own in the 19th century CE under the influence of four German philosophers- Ludwig Feuerbach, Karl Marx, Frederic Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. They provided the theoretical framework of Atheism, and it appealed to the intellectuals and attracted them. Atheism grew in popularity and by now it has turned into a political movement which openly ridicules the religious society for its lack of reason and unscientific outlook. The traditional societies all over the world are predominantly religious. The Atheists are part of the same society and live within its acceptable norms of conduct. They generally merge well into the society and it may not be...
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