Buddhism

Some atheists have put forth Buddhism as a model value system. There are various flavors of Buddhism, ranging from the mild to the fanatical, just as with any other religion. However, there are core tenets that the vast majority share.

What are those tenets?

First is a descriptive account of the human condition, spelled out in the "Four Noble Truths":

1. Life is suffering
2. The cause of suffering is desire
3. The end of suffering is the negation of desire
4. The recipe for ending suffering is following the "Eightfold Path"

The "Eightfold Path" is a prescriptive account of how to achieve enlightenment and end suffering:

1. Speak truthfully
2. Act in ways that do not cause harm
3. Adopt a livelihood that does not cause harm
4. Exercise and improve oneself
5. Exercise an awareness of the way things really are with a clear consciousness
6. Be aware of one's self, without craving or desire
7. See things for the way they really are
8. Change one's pattern of thinking

If I butchered any of this, let me know. As with many moral systems, happiness or its opposite, suffering, are foundational, which from the discussion of happiness inherently has many problems. The actual path to follow includes laudable valuation of truth and structure, but the overarching goal is to eradicate suffering and to do this fundamentally by negating goals and ultimately the self.

The value system presented here rejects such overarching principles as absurd. The defining attributes of an agent are its goals, thus striving to eradicate ambition is contradictory and nonsensical.

Thus, the focus on suffering and the overriding principle of purging desire make Buddhism a poor model for meaning and morals.