[anigbrowl]

Phrases like 'basic decency' and 'human nature' are what people fall back on when they can't articulate why a particular ethical position is desirable. This makes you vulnerable in an argument, because when your terms are vague your opponent can project different meanings onto those phrases and you won't have a comeback. Intuition is an excellent guide for your own actions, but it's not by itself persuasive. You need to dig deeper and figure out what are the bases of 'basic decency.' Don't worry, it won't stop working for taking it apart and putting it back together again. Go back to Plato and look how Socrates keeps peeling back layer after layer of unstated assumptions to reveal the core truths.