In “Do we need God to be good and moral?” the author challenges the widespread belief that without divine authority, human society collapses into chaos. Philosophers from Plato to Kant have long asked whether acts are good because God wills them, or God wills them because they are already good. If morality depends solely on God’s decree, then ethics becomes arbitrary—or worse, inaccessible in plural societies with differing revelations.

Instead, the piece presents secular foundations: rational autonomy (morality through reason), virtue ethics (flourishing via virtues), and the social contract (norms arising from collective necessity). Evolutionary biology also plays a role: traits such as reciprocity, cooperation, and fairness appear across species, hinting that moral behavior is rooted in life itself. The essay points to examples like capuchin monkeys rejecting unfairness or vampire bats sharing food as evidence.

Anthropology offers further support: the Pirahã tribe of the Amazon lacks belief in afterlife or gods, yet sustains social norms, sharing, and conflict resolution—a living example of morality without religion.

The article doesn’t dismiss religion: for many, faith reinforces moral motivation. But it insists that morality should not be monopolised by theology. When grounded in reason and shared human experience, ethics can be universal, plural, and resilient.