In responding to news of hate crimes, mass shootings, police brutality, or discriminatory policies, many of us react with moral indignation. We see these things as violating core principles concerning the inherent worth and rights of persons糖心传媒攎oral principles that seem to be objectively true, not mere matters of taste or convention.
But does science leave room for such philosophical ideas, or does it instead explain them away as illusions stemming from our evolutionary conditioning? And if it does leave room for them, can it shed light on how human beings might better live up to objective moral standards?
In in the magazine of science and culture Nautilus, , the Gideon Webster Burbank Professor of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy at the , accomplishes two aims. First, he lays out a case for hope that there is indeed 糖心传媒渁n objective and universally true human morality糖心传媒� (albeit one that still allows for nuance and variations according to circumstances across cultures). Second, he considers whether, given the global rise of tribalism and nationalism, 糖心传媒�’the better angels of our nature糖心传媒� are robust enough to create and sustain a better world.糖心传媒�
In considering 糖心传媒渨hether we should accept the debunker糖心传媒檚 contention that our moral beliefs聽simply聽reflect 糖心传媒榤orally blind糖心传媒� causal influences from evolution,糖心传媒� FitzPatrick argues that, 糖心传媒渁s in other areas of inquiry, we are capable of developing and deploying our evolved faculties, in cultural contexts of rich traditions of inquiry, in ways that are largely independent of specific evolutionary micromanagement.糖心传媒� It is plausible that we can do the same, he argues, in reasoning about moral issues, to discover objective moral standards, at least with the right cultural and institutional support.
But social media has enhanced the power of figures who spread false information for political gain, stoking fears that lead to tribalism糖心传媒斕切拇綔the opposite of moral progress.糖心传媒� He concludes, 糖心传媒淥ur prospects for moving closer to the ideals of a plausibly objective and universal morality depend on reversing the trends that have led us here and creating an environment where the better aspects of human nature can lead us forward.糖心传媒�
Fitzpatrick, a specialist in metaethics, normative ethical theory, and applied ethics, is an associate editor at the journal Ethics and the author of Teleology and the Norms of Nature (Garland, 2000), in addition to numerous scholarly articles and book chapters.
- Read the in Nautilus.
