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    Question ID:   19751         Current Version: 1
Question: If the theory of evolution is true how did we evolve moral (right and wrong)?
Category: Science > Social Sciences
Keywords: evolution, theory, moral, morality
Type: other
Rating:(0 ratings)    Views: 17    Discussions: 0   In Watch Lists: 1  

 
    Answer:

Evolution and Morality

Evolution requires two things: first, mutation. That is, each generation must have some chance to be unlike the previous. Second, natural selection. That is, the individuals in each generation who are better suited to their environment must be more likely to produce children. If these two things are present, then a species will evolve to become better suited to its environment (you can easily prove this). Notice that "better suited to its environment" does not necessarily mean "nicer," "more intelligent," or "stronger;" it all depends on what works best in the environment. Now if we assume that the moral nature of human beings is different now than it was in the past, then evolution could have caused this difference if the two parts of evolution (mutation + natural selection) are present, that is if each generation of humans is a little different morally from the previous, and if more (or less) moral humans are more likely to produce children.

Evolution vs. Morality

The theory of evolution explains how humans (and other organisms) came to have the biology that we do -- walking upright, big brains, etc. The Theory of evolution does not necessarily explain why human beings today behave the way we do. For example, all humans are one species, but we speak many different languages. That we can have language at all is due to our biology (our brain and vocal cords), and thus due to evolution. The differences in the languages we do speak (Spanish, English, Russian, etc) are due to something else---differences in culture.

So morality is not really a "biological" trait. Just like with languages, what is moral in one culture is not moral in another. Also, what was moral 400 years ago is no longer moral today. Evolution only happens over much longer periods of time (tens of thousands to millions of years), so it can't be responsible for morality. Morality
is just something that we humans have invented on our own, just like we invented Spanish, English, and Russian.

Sources:

[1] Christopher Grayce, David DeGusta, "Evolution of morals", Online posting. NEWTON BBS Ask a Scientist.

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