What is the motivation to be good?
Isn't that a bit of a sociopathic question? (Not saying you are a sociopath, just that I'm skipping the answer that most people would take as read)

But for ignoring a sense of right and wrong there is still the carrot and stick:- (Appear to) behave well and generally people will have a higher opinion of you and life will be easier. Behave badly (and get caught) and there is likely to be punishment.

If it works this way most of the time then society forms ... erm, the behavioural equivalent of an evolutionarily stable system, which I can't remember the term for. So the strategy "I'll be quite nice" will generally give a better outcome than "I'll mug grannies".

So - the reason "a society protects itself" is sufficient reason to behave well. There are others.
(teebie jeebie, Tue 23 Dec 2008, 12:15, 1 reply)

Not necessarily.
One might argue that a degree of private vice is a necessary component of public good. (Think of the Borgias.)

You're also running together goodness and rightness, and making a claim about getting caught - which has nothing to do with the moral question.

EDIT: Your last sentence doesn't make any sense at all.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 23 Dec 2008, 12:24, closed)

See where I say "ignoring a sense of right and wrong"
...That's me saying "I think saying you should behave morally can be taking as read. If you don't then there are other reasons to do such. Here's a statistical one".

(Nature has several examples where an organism benefits from altruism. Because under some circumstances the creatures displaying altruistic behaviour have done better than those that didn't.)

I've used goodness and rightness to mean the same thing because, in the context I used them, they do.
(teebie jeebie, Tue 23 Dec 2008, 12:57, closed)

Humptyism.
It's clear to anyone who's used the words that there's a huge difference between them. You can't be a Humpty Dumpty and ignore that.
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 23 Dec 2008, 13:25, closed)