Evolutionary Ethics and Contemporary Biology

This book examines how evolutionism can justify the existence of ethical normativity.

Giovanni Boniolo (Edited by), Gabriele De Anna (Edited by)

9780521856294, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 3 July 2006

222 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.5 kg

Review of the hardback: 'Evolutionary Ethics and Contemporary Biology is a welcome contribution that raises pressing questions and offers insightful responses that scientists and philosophers alike would do well to grapple with.' The Journal of Value Inquiry

How can the discoveries made in the biological sciences play a role in a discussion on the foundation of ethics? This book responds to this question by examining how evolutionism can explain and justify the existence of ethical normativity and the emergence of particular moral systems. Written by a team of philosophers and scientists, the essays collected in this volume deal with the limits of evolutionary explanations, the justifications of ethics, and methodological issues concerning evolutionary accounts of ethics, among other topics. They offer deep insights into the origin and purpose of human moral capacities and of moral systems.

Introduction Giovanni Boniolo and Gabriele De Anna
Part I. The Limits of Evolutionary Explanations and Justifications of Ethics: 1. Is Darwinian metaethics possible (and if it is, is it well taken)? Michael Ruse
2. The descent of instinct and the ascent of ethics Giovanni Boniolo
Part II. Methodological Issues Concerning Evolutionary Accounts of Ethics: 3. Are human beings parts of the rest of nature? Christopher Lang, Elliot Sober and Karen Strier
4. The nature of resemblance, homologies in the nervous system, and behavior correspondence Aldo Fasolo
Part III. How Biological Results Can Help Explaining Morally Relevant Human Capacities: 5. Genetic influences on moral capacity, what genetic mutants can teach us Giovanni Boniolo and Paolo Vezzoni
6. Evolutionary pharmacology, mental disorders, and ethical behaviour Stefano Canali, Gabriele De Anna and Luca Pani
7. The biology of human culture and ethics: an evolutionary perspective Stefano Parmigiani, Gabriele De Anna, Danilo Mainardi and Paola Palanza
Part IV. How Biological Results Can Help Explain Moral Systems: 8. Biology to ethics: an evolutionist's view of human nature Francisco Ayala
9. Between fragile altruism and morality: human evolution and the emergence of normative guidance Philip Kitcher
10. Will genomics do more for metaphysics than Locke? Alex Rosenberg
Index.

Subject Areas: Evolution [PSAJ], Biology, life sciences [PS], Philosophy of science [PDA], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ]