Of the four reasons for rejecting Evolutionary Ethics I believe that the fourth problem
is the most important. i The fourth reason for rejection is the most compelling to me
because it centers on the origin of belief and morality. The text states that,
“Naturalism can only describe how humans actually do function or behave, not
prescribe how they ought to act.”[1] This means that Evolutionary Ethics is rejected
because it does not provide a source for the standard in which we as humans should
behave. Without a source mankind cannot be bound to a standard because there is
nothing to compare it to.
It is my belief that McQuilkin and Copan present a very strong case that works to
reject the Evolutionary Ethics theory. Each problem McQuilkin and Copan used to
reject Evolutionary Ethics is centered around understanding the origin of moral
decisions. The case they presented in the reading showed repeatedly that the
Evolutionary Ethics standpoint should be rejected because it leans on a non-rational
foundation. For example, the second reason for rejection is because the viewpoint
states that we should trust our beliefs because evolution has helped us develop them
in order to survive.[2] To challenge this belief McQuilkin and Copan made an
interesting point about how survival beliefs can be skewed to fit personal gain rather
than what is actually morally correct. This then brings up the point made by the
authors that in order for this idea to be true there would need to be an assumption that
our minds are inherently good and will not deceive us. Therefore, there must be a
rational God in which ethics is originated.[3]
I believe that evolutionary ethics as a conceptual idea is compatible with the Bible but
merely as a support for biblical teachings. I stand by this viewpoint because it is to my
understanding that the knowledge mankind has possessed overtime has evolved to
help mankind survive and reproduce. This is seen from the beginning to the end of the
Bible especially amongst superiors passing on wisdom and knowledge to their
subordinates that allows them to reach a new group of people. So in a way the very
idea and spread of Christianity relates closely to evolutionary ethics because
Christianity is a way of life that pushes people to live righteously (ethically).
[1] J. Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan,
An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking
in the Way of Wisdom
(Downers Grove, IL: IVP, an imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014).
[2] Ibid., 181
[3] ibid.,181
