Evolutionary Ethics And Contemporary Biology (cambridge Studies In Philosophy And Biology)

(publisher-supplied Data) How Can The Discoveries Made In The Biological Sciences Play A Role In A Discussion On The Foundation Of Ethics? This Book Responds To This Question By Examining How Evolutionism Can Explain And Justify The Existence Of Ethical Normativity And The Emergence Of Particular Moral Systems. Written By A Team Of Philosophers And Scientists, The Essays Collected In This Volume Deal With The Limits Of Evolutionary Explanations, The Justifications Of Ethics, And Methodological Issues Concerning Evolutionary Accounts Of Ethics, Among Other Topics. They Offer Deep Insights Into The Origin And Purpose Of Human Moral Capacities And Of Moral Systems. Is Darwinian Metaethics Possible (and If It Is, Is It Well Taken)? / Michael Ruse -- The Descent Of Instinct And The Ascent Of Ethics / Giovanni Boniolo -- Are Human Beings Part Of The Rest Of Nature? / Christopher Lang, Elliot Sober And Karen Strier -- The Nature Of Resemblance : Homologies In The Nervous System And Behavioral Correspondence / Aldo Fasolo -- Genetic Influences On Moral Capacity : What Genetic Mutants Can Teach Us / Giovanni Boniolo And Paolo Vezzoni -- Evolutionary Psychopharmacology, Mental Disorders, And Ethical Behavior / Stefano Canali, Gabriele De Anna And Luca Pani -- The Biology Of Human Culture And Ethics : An Evolutionary Perspective / Stefano Parmigiani, Gabriele De Anna, Danilo Mainardi And Paola Palanza -- Biology To Ethics : An Evolutionist's View Of Human Nature / Francisco Ayala -- Between Fragile Altruism And Morality : Evolution And The Emergence Of Normative Guidance / Philip Kitcher -- Will Genomics Do More For Metaphysics Than Locke? / Alex Rosenberg. Edited By Giovanni Boniolo, Gabriele De Anna. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Contributors......Page 11 Introduction......Page 15 REFERENCES......Page 24 I The Limits of Evolutionary Explanations and Justifications of Ethics......Page 25 NORMATIVE ETHICS......Page 27 METAETHICS......Page 29 SOCIAL DARWINISM......Page 30 PROGRESS......Page 32 ETHICAL SKEPTICISM......Page 33 OBJECTIFICATION......Page 35 SPIRITUALISM......Page 36 PROGRESS AGAIN......Page 37 REFERENCES......Page 39 MORAL CAPACITY......Page 41 Darwin's Theory of the Genesis of the Enabling Conditions for Moral Capacity......Page 43 Darwin's Theory on the Genesis of the Different Moral Judgments......Page 48 The Consequences of a Darwinian Approach to the Moral Capacity......Page 51 CONCLUSION......Page 53 REFERENCES......Page 54 II Methodological Issues Concerning Evolutionary Accounts of Ethics......Page 55 3 Are Human Beings Part of the Rest of Nature?......Page 57 REFERENCES......Page 68 INTRODUCTION......Page 70 Character Comparison: Concepts and Application......Page 71 The Evo-Devo Approach and Modularity......Page 73 Homology and the Study of Brain and Behavior......Page 76 Theories of CNS Evolution......Page 77 The Quantitative Approach......Page 79 Evolutionary Reasoning: Adaptation, Exaptation, Coevolution......Page 81 REFERENCES......Page 83 III How Biological Results Can Help Explain Morally Relevant Human Capacities......Page 89 5 Genetic Influences on Moral Capacity: What Genetic Mutants Can Teach Us......Page 91 GENETIC INFLUENCES......Page 93 Human Monogenic Diseases......Page 95 Monogenic Abnormalities in Mice......Page 97 Human Polygenic Diseases......Page 100 PHILOSOPHICAL REMARKS ON GENETIC EVIDENCE......Page 102 REFERENCES......Page 106 6 Evolutionary Psychopharmacology, Mental Disorders, and Ethical Behavior......Page 111 PSYCHIATRY, ETHICS, AND FUNCTIONS......Page 113 The Evolution of Psychotropic Drug Consumption......Page 120 Evolutionary Explanations in Psychiatry......Page 122 Psychotropic Drugs and the Adaptive Significance of Psychiatric Symptoms......Page 125 Evolutionism, Pharmacogenetics, and Pharmacogenomics......Page 128 Specificity of Drug Action and Integrative Aspects of Biological and Adaptive Functions......Page 129 The Individual Function......Page 130 REFERENCES......Page 132 7 The Biology of Human Culture and Ethics: An Evolutionary Perspective......Page 135 THE NATURE-NURTURE DEBATE......Page 137 DARWIN’S THEORY OF EVOLUTION AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF OUR NATURE......Page 139 DARWINISM AND SEXUAL SELECTION THEORY......Page 142 THE BIOLOGICAL ROOTS OF SOCIAL NORMS AND ETHICS......Page 147 CONCLUSION......Page 149 REFERENCES......Page 151 IV How Biological Results Can Help Explain Moral Systems......Page 153 HUMAN ORIGINS......Page 155 HUMANKIND’S DISTINCTIVE TRAITS......Page 157 BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION VERSUS CULTURAL EVOLUTION......Page 159 ETHICAL BEHAVIOR VERSUS ETHICAL NORMS......Page 161 BIOLOGICAL ROOTS OF ETHICAL BEHAVIOR......Page 163 ETHICAL NORMS: BEYOND BIOLOGY......Page 167 REFERENCES......Page 171 BIOLOGICAL ALTRUISM......Page 173 PSYCHOLOGICAL ALTRUISM......Page 176 THE RELATION BETWEEN BIOLOGY AND MORALITY......Page 179 THE FRAGILITY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL ALTRUISM AND PEACEMAKING STRATEGIES......Page 182 THE EVOLUTION OF A CAPACITY FOR NORMATIVE GUIDANCE......Page 184 REFERENCES......Page 191 THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND “JUST-SO STORIES”......Page 192 GENOMICS AND THE EXPLANATION OF THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR......Page 194 THE EXPLANATORY CONTRIBUTION OF HEREDITARY AND GENETIC DEFECTS IN HUMANS......Page 204 SIMPLE GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR BEHAVIORS IN ANIMALS......Page 207 HOW TO EXPLAIN THE EVOLUTION OF COMPLEX HUMAN BEHAVIORAL DISPOSITIONS......Page 209 REFERENCES......Page 211 Index......Page 213