The devolution of morality
Genes, Memes, & Mindsby John Maynard Smith
Dennett’s last topic is the evolution of morality. Here it is important to distinguish two questions: “How could humans come to have a sense of right and wrong?” and “What is right and what is wrong?” I do not think the first question is all that difficult. I would expect any intelligent organism that lives in groups to evolve an ability to hold beliefs about right behavior, and to be influenced in those beliefs by myth and ritual. We do not only have beliefs: we make contracts. It is worth asking what cognitive equipment is needed to make a contract. At the very least, it requires language and a “theory of mind”: that is, we must be able to perceive other people as beings like ourselves, with minds like ours. Both these qualities are probably unique to humans.
But is there any way in which we can decide, with certainty, which actions are right? Dennett’s view, which I share, is that there is not, unless you hold that some book, for example the Bible, is the word of God, and that human beings are here to do God’s bidding. If a person is simply the product of his or her genetic makeup and environmental history, including all the ideas that he or she has assimilated, there is simply no source whence absolute morality could come. Of course, this does not exempt us from making moral judgments: it only means that we cannot be sure that we are right.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/1995/nov/30/genes-memes-minds/?page=3
"Of course, this does not exempt us from making moral judgments: it only means that we cannot be sure that we are right"
ReplyDeleteThis statement shows the difficulty for those with no absolute standard to even discuss the issue of right and wrong. The idea that you can have assurance about being right or wrong is nonsense. For the relativist this statement should be written as "Of course, this does not exempt us from making moral judgments: it only means that we cannot be right or wrong."
Michael
"Of course, this does not exempt us from making moral judgments: it only means that we cannot be sure that we are right."
ReplyDeleteI was asked where my source of morality comes from.
To be frank, it's a "strain" of Christian ethics, but there's simply a different emphasis on certain values within that framework than others may have.
That's part of the problem. The Bible doesn't resolve many complex moral issues, and there's disagreement on numerous things even between conservative thinkers and those who claim to hold a literal, inerrant view of the Bible.
The Bible stresses forgiveness, mercy, love and charity in one passage and in another, judgment, justice and severity, sometimes even revenge.
When it comes to telling us how to apply these values to one's life, I don't think Scripture is always helpful.