Abstract
Could an ethical theory ever play a substantial evidential role in a scientific argument for an empirical hypothesis? InThe Descent of Man, Darwin includes an extended discussion of the nature of human morality, and the ethical theory which he sketches is not simply developed as an interesting ramification of his theory of evolution, but is used as a key part of his evidence for human descent from animal ancestors. Darwin must rebut the argument that, because of our moral nature, humans are essentially different in kind from other animals and so had to have had a different origin. I trace his causal story of how the moral sense could develop out of social instincts by evolutionary mechanisms of group selection, and show that the form of Utilitarianism he proposes involves a radical reduction of the standard of value to the concept of biological fitness. I argue that this causal analysis, although a weakness from a normative standpoint, is a strength when judged for its intended purpose as part of an evidential argument to confirm the hypothesis of human descent.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, R. D.: 1985. ‘A Biological Interpretation of Moral Systems’,Zygon 20 (March), 3–20.
Barrett, P. H. (Ed.): 1974,Metaphysics, Materialism & the Evolution of Mind: Early Writings of Charles Darwin. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Brandon, R.: 1978, ‘Adaptation and Evolutionary Theory’,Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 9 (3), 181–206.
Darwin, C.: 1955,Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. New York, The Philosophical Library.
Darwin, C.: 1964 (1859),On the Origin of Species (Facsimile of the 1st ed.). Cambridge, MA, Harvard Univ. Press.
Darwin, C.: 1989 (1877),The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, Part One (Second edition, revised and augmented ed.). U.S.A., New York University Press.
Dawkins, R.: 1976,The Selfish Gene. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
Gould, S. J.: 1977,Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History. New York, W. W. Norton & Company.
Haeckel, E.: 1896,The Evolution of Man: A Popular Exposition of the Principle Point of Human Ontogeny and Phylogeny. New York, D. Appleton & Co.
Kant, I.: 1956,Critique of Practical Reason (Beck, Lewis W., Trans.). Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill.
Keith, S. A.: 1928,Concerning Man's Origin: Being the Presidential Address given at Meeting of the British Association held in Leeds on August 31, 1927 together with recent Essays on Darwinian Subjects. New York, London, G. P. Putnam's Sons.
Kitcher, P.: 1985, ‘Darwin's Achievement’, in N. Rescher (eds.),Reason and Rationality in Natural Science (pp. 127–189), Lanham, University Press of America.
Kottler, M. J.: 1974, ‘Alfred Russell Wallace, the Origin of Man, and Spiritualism’,ISIS 65 (227), 144–192.
Linnaeus, C.: 1907 (1735),Systema Naturae, sine Regna Tria Naturae Systematice Proposita per Classes, Ordines, Genera, & Species (Facsimile of First (1735) ed.). (Stockholm): Holmiae.
Lyell, C.: 1990 (1830),Principles of Geology: An attempt to explain the former changes of the earth's surface by reference to causes now in operation (1st ed.). Chicago and London, Univ. of Chicago Press.
Mill, J. S.: 1957,Utilitarianism. Indianapolis, Bobbs-Merrill.
Mills, S., & Beatty, J.: 1979, ‘The Propensity Interpretation of Fitness’,Philosophy of Science 46 (2), 263–286.
Mivart, S. G.: 1889,The Origin of Human Reason. London, Kegan Paul Treach & Co.
Murphy, J. G.: 1982,Evolution, Morality, and the Meaning of Life. New Jersey, Rowman and Littlefield.
Oldroyd, D. R.: 1980,Darwinian Impacts. Atlantic Highlands, N.J., Humanities Press.
Pennock, R. T.: 1991,Causally Licensed Inference and the Confirmation Relation. Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh.
Recker, Doren A.: 1987, ‘Causal Efficacy: The Structure of Darwin's Argument Strategy in the Origin of Species’,Phil Sci 54 (June), 147–175.
Richards, R. J.: 1987,Darwin and the Emergence of Evolutionary Theories of Mind and Behavior (1st ed.). Chicago/London, University of Chicago Press.
Ruse, M.: 1979,The Darwinian Revolution. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Schmidt, O.: 1896,The Doctrine of Descent and Darwinism. New York, D. Appleton and Co.
Sedgwick, A.: 1831, Address of the President (1831).Proceedings of the Geological Society of London 1826–1833 1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
An earlier version of this paper was presented on April 4, 1987, at the Joint Atlantic Seminar for History of Biology (Harvard University), and on April 10, 1987, at the Midwest Junto for History of Science (Univ. of Northern Illinois) under the title “The Ethical Argument of Darwin'sDescent of Man”. I would like to thank James Lennox, Michael Ruse and J. F. Austin for helpful discussion and criticisms.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pennock, R.T. Moral Darwinism: Ethical evidence for the descent of man. Biol Philos 10, 287–307 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00852470
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00852470