A moral question for you all

[WhaleSharkBootySweat]

Imagine you go into a really nice small business selling either homewares or food. You pick something up that you really like, but it's the end of the month and you can't really afford it. What is the main reason that stops you from stealing it?

A.) Fear of getting caught, punished, criminal record, shame, losing your job
B.) Sympathy for the small business owner, not wanting them to lose money

Or something else.
For me it's massively more B but then I don't steal from chain stores, so I guess A must come into it then?
I just wonder where these moral decisions we make daily come from. Is it fear of repercussions or genuine moral compass? Why do a third of shoppers steal from self checkouts but wouldn't steal from a cashier at the till?
I think about the idea that if there wasn't law and order, then we would all steal and murder, but I genuinely believe that most of us wouldn't? I mean I've never felt compelled to, but why is that? Empathy?

C) Basic morals. I just have no desire to steal, so it wouldn't cross my mind. I'd look at the tag and think: That's overpriced. Or: Nice but can't justify the cost. Then i'd wander off into a shop I could afford.

I would feel awful both guilt at hurting the owner and guilt at letting myself down, fear of being caught and bringing distress to my family - so many negative emotions.

It's C for me too - it's just wrong and I am not a thief.

I was actually in this situation many years ago - took the items home by mistake and realized once I was home. (Think warm clothes, new baby, winter, no money)
The deed was already done (although by mistake).

It took me about 15 minutes of thinking but I figured I am not a thief and so went back and returned it.
Never been tempted since then - I know I am not a thief.

When I was a teen I walked out of a lovely little indie hippy shop with a Moroccan style handbag, it should have been 30 quid, when I got home and realised what I'd done and I called up and asked to make a card payment over the phone she was really lovely about it.
But had I daftly swiped a bag from tesco or something, I know I'd have not bothered my arse ringing them to say sorry and pay.

It wouldn't occur to me to steal in the first place. Sorry.

But C and D weren’t options - the OP isn’t asking if it’s wrong. She’s asking why we think it’s wrong and what would be the bigger factor in stopping us from stealing.

Both A and B, I think.

We can’t think why it’s wrong when the options don’t include the most obvious one!

It’s like asking would we kill someone by shooting them or hanging them when we wouldn’t think of doing either.

I would kill someone by the quickest means possible but would have to do some research to find out whether that's shooting or hanging.

I think the problem is people who steal feel entitled to have what they want and they don;t. I want a Dior coat but theres not a cat in hells chance could afford one so I dont have one end of. You want something ,you cant afford it so you work for it or leave the idea alone. Not everyone can have what they think they should have. Its basic.

Which is a good moral deterrent when it comes to luxury goods, not so much for people who steal basics such as food.

Don't they just. All the people saying 'because it's wrong' as though that's a third option. When clearly the OP is saying why do you think its wrong, is it reason a, reason b, or another reason.
Its like answering the question 'Why do you go on holiday to Spain? The weather, the food?' by saying 'Neither. Its because I go on holiday to Spain'.

But the given is that we know it’s wrong, the question is why we think it’s wrong - what moral line in the sand stops us from stealing ? So in your example, given that we know killing someone is wrong, the question is not the method of killing, but what stops us from killing at all ? The last paragraph poses the question. If law and order didn’t exist would we all murder and steal - and if not, why not ?

If law and order didn’t exist would we all murder and steal - and if not, why not ?

If you went on holidays to eg El Salvador - would you murder and steal just because it’s commonplace there? I wouldn’t.

Stealing for food because you’re starving and haven’t eaten for days and have no means of getting food through begging - is a different dilemma. But it’s entirely different to stealing because you’d like something expensive you can’t afford.

It didn’t occur because Option C ‘it’s wrong’ isn’t relevant. The OP knows it’s wrong and she knows we know it’s wrong. She’s asking why we think it’s wrong. What stops us from doing it. So ‘because it’s wrong’ isn’t an answer.

I'm also C: It's wrong
I think it's strange that this option didn't occur to you

My initial response was 'C: it's wrong' too, but that doesn't mean it's not interesting to discuss why we feel it's wrong, how we learn that, our motives for not doing what is wrong, and how we distinguish between different levels of wrong.

The fact that there have been so many pretty heated disagreements on the thread is proof that 'Just because' isn't an adequate answer.

And yet you haven’t answered the question posed. If not, why not ? What moral line in the sand would you be crossing, given that in the scenario posed, society has no rules.

Exactly this

It’s also proof that a lot of people are failing to understand the question, even though it’s been rephrased several times.

The question wasn’t ‘is it right or wrong’. We know it’s wrong. The question is why we think it’s wrong, and in an imagined world where there was no law and order what would stop us from doing it if we could do so with no consequences to ourselves. So ‘it’s wrong’ doesn’t answer the question, e cause it’s an ethical and moral one - not black and white.

OP you’ve opened quite a can of worms here.

But the op misses out the option: 'I just don't want to steal. There is no impulse to do so. it would never cross my mind.' The options imply a desire to steal that is quelled for one of two reasons. But what if you just don't have that desire?

This.

Which then introduces different levels of right and wrong. Is it still wrong to steal if you’re starving ? We’ve come a long way from hanging people for stealing a loaf of bread to stave off hunger, but we still haven’t addressed the underlying inequalities that cause people to go hungry in the first place. A different ethical dilemma I suppose.

I agree that the interesting question here is - why do we think it is wrong?

What stops me stealing is not wanting to be in the category ‘thief’- even if no one would find out.

So it’s my own self image that would be thrown out of whack - and secondary to that -the risk of other people categorising me as a thief, which I would hate.

When I stop to consider it I realise I have strong anti thief feelings- I don’t want to be associated with that group, and at some level I find the idea of stealing really uncomfortable and I am judging people who steal.

Im not religious and I believe our inner moral code is built via life experience so my feelings on stealing must come from the way thieving is perceived generally in our society.

Societal disapproval of anti social activities ( up to and including theft and murder) is a useful tool to allow us to live together mostly harmoniously.

Having said all that - I would not condemn a person (or myself) stealing for their survival or the survival of their dependents- so I do have a shiftable / pragmatic moral code depending on circumstance.

None of those options it's just wrong. I was brought up to be honest and not steal. I would steal if I had starving children but not for my own gratification.

It's the same as telling lies to get what you want or get it cheaper. Dishonest.

Whether or not you have the desire to steal is irrelevant I think. Because that wouldn’t stop you from having an opinion on the moral issues involved.