3 upvotes, 4 direct replies (showing 4)
View submission: /r/philosophy Open Discussion Thread | February 10, 2025
Evolution cannot say anything about morality since the only matter evolution is concerned about is the survival of genes into the next generation
To claim we derived all our moral guidelines because of our evolutionary background is by far a absurd yet seemingly the most popular view among scholars today on moral issues
Comment by Shield_Lyger at 10/02/2025 at 23:07 UTC
3 upvotes, 1 direct replies
When Charles Darwin wrote the *On the Origin of Species* he identified three conflicts:
There is no particular reason why morality must be unconcerned with making one or more of these conflicts easier to manage. Take the 10 Commandments, to use a really basic example. Strip out the items that are effectively about religious observance, and one is left with a series of rules that, if followed, make it easier for humans to live together in groups. It seems that this would make the second and third of Mr. Darwin's conflicts easier, and so natural selection would favor groups where people could live within those rules.
Therefore, there is nothing inherently "absurd" about the idea that our current ideas of morality and ethics are derived from aspects of human nature that have allowed our species to thrive to this point in history.
Comment by Electrical_Shoe_4747 at 10/02/2025 at 22:13 UTC
4 upvotes, 3 direct replies
Hang on, which view are you objecting to? The view that our moral intuitions have been influenced by evolutionary processes? Or the view that those moral guidelines which aid survival and reproduction are to be identified as the correct moral guidelines?
Comment by OGOJI at 10/02/2025 at 22:11 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I don’t think most philosophers think evolution debunks objective morality if that’s what you’re getting at (cf philpapers survey on moral realism). You might take the position that evolution does influence our capacity to think about morals (just as it influences our brain’s capacity to think about logic) while still believing moral truths are independent from this process (just as a naturalist can believe we can know objective mathematical truths even though evolution influenced our logical ability).
Comment by slightly_okay at 10/02/2025 at 19:53 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I think if you take the idea of evolution to heart then it means everything was naturally selected to be the way it is so morality would also be under that umbrella. If that makes sense. Evolution selected the genes that further the genetics of those who help the pack thus pack mentality forms thus helping others forms thus morality