Evolutionary Ethics: A Phoenix Arisen
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48160/18532330me13.333Keywords:
Darwin, evolutionary ethics, ethicsAbstract
Evolutionary ethics has a (deservedly) bad reputation. But we must not remain prisoners of our past. Recent advances in Darwinian evolutionary biology pave the way for a linking of science and morality, at once more modest yet more profound than earlier excursions in this direction. There is no need to repudiate the insights of the great philosophers of the past, particularly David Hume. So humans’ simian origins really matter. The question is not whether evolution is to be linked to ethics, but how.
We humans are modified monkeys, not the favored creation of a benevolent God, on the sixth day. The time has therefore come to face squarely our animal nature, particularly as we interact with others. Admittedly, so-called evolutionary ethics has a bad reputation. However, the question is not whether evolution is connected with ethics, but how. Fortunately, thanks to recent developments in biological science, the way is now becoming clear.
I begin this discussion with a brief historical introduction to the topic. Then I move to the core of my scientific and philosophical case. I conclude by taking up some central objections.
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