engleski

Darwinian considerations and applied ethics

The paper examines the prevailing view in contemporary moral philosophy, according to which evolutionary considerations lack any normative or prescriptive content. The first, stage-setting part of the paper presents Philip Kitcher’s (1985, 2006) influential and highly restrictive classification of possible ways of “biologicizing” ethics. The second part criticizes Hugh LaFollette’s (1980, 2010) proposal that the state should license parents according to their parental abilities, knowledge and dispositions. In order to demonstrate how certain moral views tend to change when placed in evolutionary context, LaFollette’s proposal is examined against several insights of evolutionary psychology regarding sex differences in providing parental care. In the third part of the paper, returning to Kitcher’s views on biologicizing ethics, it is argued that evolutionary considerations do play a role in ethics and applied ethics that goes beyond merely providing relevant empirical facts.

Evolutionary psychology; sex differences; parenting

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