Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T15:16:15.689Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Biology, Ethics, and Debunking Arguments

from Part II - Religion and Human Biology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2021

Get access

Summary

The application of evolutionary theory to morality has given rise in our day to a field known as “evolutionary ethics.” From the beginning, claims about how evolutionary ideas engage ethical thought have sparked controversy. Both Charles Darwin and Herbert Spencer provided their own distinctive evolutionary reasoning about the foundation, content, and function of human morality, while several well-known traditional philosophers, such as Henry Sidgwick, denounced and severely critiqued their views. Given the long-standing connection between ethics and religion, the issues become more complex. In this chapter, we explore the basic issues arising at the intersection of evolutionary ethics and religion – from how areas of ethics are affected to how religion is challenged, with particular attention to theism and Christianity. We also discuss important philosophical work regarding whether evolution debunks realist interpretations of religious ethics and how evolutionary ethics is interpreted by both naturalistic and theistic worldviews.

Type
Chapter
Information
Biology, Religion, and Philosophy
An Introduction
, pp. 184 - 204
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×