Logic and Philosophy of Science in Uppsala pp 499-509 | Cite as
Darwinism and the Moral Status of Animals
Abstract
The rationale for thinking that evolutionary biology has something interesting to say about ethics lies in the empirical fact that human beings have evolved to become what they are through the influence of natural selection and other factors. Thus, human nature, to the extent that such is compatible with an evolutionary way of thinking, has been to no small extent shaped by evolutionary and natural forces. It is generally conceded that all ethical systems, naturalistic or not, rest, either explicitly or implicitly, on a conception of human nature. The very foundation of ethical thinking would seem then to be rooted in biology.1
Keywords
Evolutionary Theory Moral Status Moral Community Moral Standing Moral PositionPreview
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