THE EVOLUTIONARY BASIS OF RELIGIOUS ETHICS

Author: Teehan, John

Source: Zygon, Volume 41, Number 3, September 2006 , pp. 747-774(28)

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Abstract:

I propose that religious ethical traditions can be understood as cultural expressions of underlying evolutionary processes. I begin with a discussion of evolutionary theories of morality, specifically kin selection and reciprocal altruism, and then discuss some recent work on the evolution of religion, setting out those features of religion that prepare it to take on a moral function in society. Having established the theoretical framework for the thesis, I turn to a close reading of early Jewish and Christian ethical teachings, as found in the Bible, in order to set out preliminary support for the proposal. My goal is to argue for the plausibility of the thesis and to indicate how, if correct, it provides new insight into Judeo-Christian moral traditions and into the phenomenon of religious violence. Such an approach to religious ethics has important metaethical implications. In the last section I consider issues such as the foundation of ethics and the possibilities and limitations of a secular ethics.

Keywords: Christian ethics; costly signals; evolutionary ethics; Judaism; kin selection; reciprocal altruism; religious violence

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9744.2005.00772.x

Affiliations: 1: Associate Professor of Philosophy at Hofstra University, 104A Roosevelt Hall, Hempstead, NY 11549;, Email: SUSJPT@Hofstra.edu.

Publication date: 2006-09-01