Myth and Morality: The Love Command

Abstract. Following in general a history of religions analysis, the paper argues that myth lays a basis for morality in that it sets forth a picture of “how things really are” (the is), to which humans seek to conform their actions (morality, the ought). A parallel argument locates the capacity for...

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1. VerfasserIn: Hefner, Philip 1932- (VerfasserIn)
Medienart: Elektronisch Aufsatz
Sprache:Englisch
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Veröffentlicht: Wiley-Blackwell 1991
In: Zygon
Jahr: 1991, Band: 26, Heft: 1, Seiten: 115-136
weitere Schlagwörter:B Christian Theology
B Morality
B Myth
B Love Command
B Evolution
B Altruism
B Culture
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Parallele Ausgabe:Nicht-Elektronisch
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Abstract. Following in general a history of religions analysis, the paper argues that myth lays a basis for morality in that it sets forth a picture of “how things really are” (the is), to which humans seek to conform their actions (morality, the ought). A parallel argument locates the capacity for morality and values orientation in the process of evolution itself. A hypothesis is formulated concerning the function of myth in the emergence of Homo sapiens, namely, to motivate the action required if creatures so culturally formed as humans were to survive. The Christian love command (understood as altruism) is interpreted as an example of the general hypothesis.
ISSN:1467-9744
Enthält:Enthalten in: Zygon
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9744.1991.tb00805.x