I wonder, are we born with a conscience, a sense of right or wrong? Or is it learned in a social environment? Or a religious one? Is the idea of having a conscience a fictionary concept? Is there a (more or less) universal idea of right and wrong? Or is it all just grab and run?

I saw a film recently called 'The Road' which took place in a post-apocalyptic society with a destroyed nature and no animals, only humans which were also dying out. The two main characters were a man and his son, and he would do anything at all for his son's survival, but not for anybody else. There were gangs hunting and eating other humans, and people who stuck together trying to help each other.

In a society with plenty, would there be more helping each other than in a society with little?

Which would be more effective? I guess that depends on whether you think in terms of survival of the individual, or the species?

I think that when people have much, they seem to want more. When they have little, they share.

Would we be able to survive a world wide catastrophy without having a conscience - or maybe simply a sense of group??