Description
Book SynopsisMorality is often defined in opposition to the natural "instincts," or as a tool to keep those instincts in check. New findings in neuroscience, social psychology, animal behavior, and anthropology have brought us back to the original Darwinian position that moral behavior is continuous with the social behavior of animals, and most likely evolved to enhance the cooperativeness of society. In this view, morality is part of human nature rather than its opposite. This interdisciplinary volume debates the origin and working of human morality within the context of science as well as religion and philosophy.
Trade Review'Because this collection represents some of the most cutting edge research questions being addressed in the field of animal studies right now, for anyone interested in the nature and development of morality in humans and animals and the relations between the two, this book is well worth considering.' Ben Mulvey in Metapsychology Online Reviews, Feb 3rd 2015 (Volume 19, Issue 6) 'Overall, this is a very well-written and thought-provoking text. Evolved Morality: The Biology and Philosophy of Human Conscience covers such a plethora of meaningful philosophical ideas, it is difficult to do it justice with a brief book review. It would be an excellent text for all social science students. It is sufficiently easy to read but covers a dearth of complex ideas, and therefore, it may help both undergraduate and graduate students learn to critically assess these important philosophical issues. This is a book that promotes critical reasoning about the concept of morality and human nature. Robert Perna in PsycCRITIQUES, June 22, 2015, Vol. 60, No. 25, Article 8
Table of ContentsTable of Contents 1. Evolution A history of the altruism-morality debate in biology Oren Harman The moral consequences of social selection Christopher Boehm Natural normativity: The “is” and “ought” of animal behavior Frans de Waal 2. Meta-ethics Empiricism and normative ethics: What do the biology and the psychology of morality have to do with ethics? Owen Flanagan, Aaron Ancell, Stephen Martin and Gordon Steenbergen Human nature and science Simon Blackburn Is a naturalized ethics possible? Philip Kitcher The origins of moral judgment Richard Joyce 3. Neuroscience and Development The neurobiological platform for moral values Patricia Smith Churchland The neuroscience of social relations. A comparative-based approach to empathy and to the capacity of evaluating others’ action value Pier Francesco Ferrari A social cognitive developmental perspective on moral judgment Larisa Heiphetz and Liane Young Morality, intentionality, and intergroup attitudes Melanie Killen and Michael T. Rizzo 4. Religion Does religion make people moral? Ara Norenzayan Supernatural beliefs: Adaptations for social life or byproducts of cognitive adaptations? Vittorio Girotto, Telmo Pievani, Giorgio Vallortigara
