Problems with Evolutionary Ethics
“Our moral awareness has a robust framework anchored in a good, loving
and just God.” (McQuilkin and Copan 2014, 182-183). To say that ethical
values and duties evolved undermines that quality of the human
construct. For example, I cannot say that “I ought to love my wife” based
on an illogical ideology of naturalism. I know that my wife has value and
worth as a human being and a female. If I say that my love for her is
based on an ethical evolutionary development, then what determines the
definition of love? What exactly is love by evolutionary standards? We
cannot say that genetics is the driving force behind the idea of human
worth and value because the standards are ambiguous and subjective. For
example, if I say that I love my wife, do I mean I love to hate my wife, or I
love my wife to death-literally? How absurd to think that any human being
could and would view this as a way for a moral and ethical value. I believe
without the existence of God, a false view of human dignity and a value
and worthlessness toward others are plausible. Since that is not the case
(I believe God does exist), then it seems to me that intrinsically and
innately, we value human dignity based on moral values, and duties by
the standard of God, not humans.
If evolutionary process dictates the human dignity, value and worth, then
what is the origin and bases for this belief system? If genetics is the
bases, then that means humans are meaningless, valueless, worthless,
and mindless since genetics in and of itself has no standards or
understanding of the human construct on all levels (emotionally,
intellectually, philosophically, spiritually, etc.). The phrase “only the
strong survive” is basically the contention from an evolutionary
perspective. To take it one step further, that is the same as saying that
humans are animals and therefore, we view life as a survival of the
fittest/every man for him or herself. How is that possible for a civil society
and cultural sense of worth, dignity and value for loving people, helping,
and caring for people? It does not care for human beings since it is no
respecter of man. So, the notion of an evolutionary ethical system that
governs people cannot be a valid standard for individuals, society and
culturally. At best is proves the existence of God when viewed through the
lens of objective moral values and duties. In other words “The fact that we
trust that our minds are not systematically deceiving us makes better
sense if we have been designed by a truthful, rational God.” (McQuilkin
and Copan 2014, 181).
7
Bibliography
McQuilkin, Robertson and Paul Copan: An Introduction to Biblical Ethics:
Walking in the Way
77777777777 of Wisdom. Illinois: IVP Academic, 2014).
