Evolution Science and Ethics in the Third Millennium: Challenges and Choices for Humankind

Cham: Springer Verlag. Edited by Dragana Avramov (2018)
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Abstract

The book aims to revitalise the interdisciplinary debate about evolutionary ethics and substantiate the idea that evolution science can provide a rational and robust framework for understanding morality. It also traces pathways for knowledge-based choices to be made about directions for future long-term biological evolution and cultural development in view of adaptation to the expected, probable and possible future and the ecological sustainability of our planetary environment The authors discuss ethical challenges associated with the major biosocial sources of human variation: individual variation, inter-personal variation, inter-group variation, and inter-generational variation. This book approaches the long-term challenges of the human species in a holistic way. Researchers will find an extensive discussion of the key theoretical scientific aspects of the relationship between evolution and morality. Policy makers will find information that can help them better understand from where we are coming and inspire them to make choices and take actions in a longer-term perspective. The general public will find food for thoughts.

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Chapters

Conclusions and Final Reflections

In this last chapter the major conclusions from the individual chapters in this book are summarised and integrated. The chapter closes with a section about the need to reconcile traditional and modern ideologies. It is argued that the evolutionary approach is a good way to bring together religious a... see more

Evolution-Based Ethical Challenges Related to Intergenerational Replacement

In this chapter the evolutionary background, developments in modernity and ethical reflections for quantitative and qualitative aspects of reproductive behaviour are addressed. First, the evolutionary and historical background and the causes of the human species’ numerical growth are described. Next... see more

Evolution-Based Ethical Challenges Related to Group Relations

In this chapter four major categories of group relations are addressed, which are based on: kin and family; social status; race, ethnicity, worldview, or political conviction; and statehood. The evolutionary background, developments in modernity and ethical reflections for the future are discussed f... see more

Evolution-Based Ethical Challenges Related to Individual Variability

This chapter deals with age variability, sex variability and individual variability in general. In addition to age and sex relations, interpersonal relations in general are addressed. For each of those issues the salient aspects regarding their evolutionary background, recent trends in modernity, an... see more

Evolution-Based Universal Morality

This chapter highlights first the rationale for evolution-based ethical choices in modernity and proposes the main arguments in favour of this position. The core of this chapter concerns the identification and justification of evolution-based general ethical goals for the future. Two evolutionary-ba... see more

Challenges of Major Secular Ideologies

This chapter briefly discusses the major secular ideologies that developed in the wake of the scientific revolution and the Enlightenment: liberalism, socialism, feminism, nationalism, ecologism, and humanism. The main purpose is to look at and evaluate those secular ideologies from an evolutionary ... see more

Adaptive and Maladaptive Features of Religious Beliefs as Sources of Morality

The aim of this chapter is to look at religion and religiosity as sources of morality from an evolutionary perspective. The evolutionary origins of religious beliefs are investigated, genetic and neurological factors involved in religious behaviour are reviewed, and adaptive advantages and disadvant... see more

Origin and Evolution of Morality

This chapter starts with a discussion of the role of evolutionary mechanisms in the development of predispositions to moral behaviour and the development of moral values and norms. Next, the evolutionary background of morality is dealt with. The major stages of evolutionary ethics as a scientific di... see more

Setting the Stage for Reflecting on a Universal Morality

Dealing with the ethical challenges of humankind at the turn of the twenty-first century, and safely guiding the human species through new subsequent stages of biological evolution and adaptation and cultural development, requires rethinking of our values and norms in a longer-term perspective and a... see more

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