Of the four reasons for rejecting Evolutionary Ethics I believe that the fourth
problem is the most important. h 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
