Describe good and evil in evolutionary terms?

Question

If all we are is a product of evolution how did we develop a sense of good, evil and morality inherent to nearly all mankind?

Wow a couple a people said i am wrong. How can a question be wrong? Also in evolutionary terms i meant what factors contributed to developing this innate sense

Answer 1

All species have some sort of behaviours which govern how they get along, even if it's just male tigers respecting each others' territories. Primates have particularly complex sets of 'rules' that they follow.

It's all about maximizing an individual's chances for reproduction and survival of those young. What humans have developed into morality starts there.

'Good' is what increases the overall survival rates for the group. 'Evil' is what decreases them. That's an over-simplication, but it will have to do for this format.

Answer 2

Evolution to a certain level of sentience involves the awareness that actions have consequences. Altruism has been demonstrated by evolutionary biologists in recent years to be a survival trait.

"Morality" in xian terms is NOT inherent to "nearly all mankind" btw. But throughout history (and prehistory, from the evidence) people have recognized value in behaviors that help, rather than harm, the larger community.

Answer 3

Good and evil don't show up in evolutionary theory. They aren't a part of it.

However, I'll answer the question anyway.

If you get a group of 50 or so cavemen together, it doesn't take a lot of time or cognitive ability for someone to say "Thok no hit Grog if Grog no hit Thok."

Morals may be arbitrary, or they may not. However, if they are arbitrary, the reason that they're virtually universal is that societies that say, for example, that killing is right will destroy themselves very quickly, and societies that say that killing is wrong will live longer (societal evolution, hehe).

Does that make sense to you?

Answer 4

The theory of evolution has very little to do with abstract concepts like good and evil. They are simply different branches of science and really do not cross over at all.

The concepts of morality and ethics were first discussed and analyzed by the ancient Greek philosophers, waaaay before Christianity came along and hijacked them for themselves.

Answer 5

Does all mankind think that abortion is good or evil?
How about punishing children for their parents crimes?
How about slavery?
How about polluting the environment?

Good and evil have always been relative and buddhists have no concept of good or evil, and that's billions of people. Much too big a chunk to say that "nearly all mankind" develops a moral system based on good and evil.

You're just plain wrong on this one.

Answer 6

Any organism of sufficient cognitive awareness could only posit that if harm to itself was considered wrong, than harming others would also be considered wrong. Rather " the golden rule ", that, not any pious obscurantism.

PS And to those of you who are advancing species selection; think on it a little more, or review W. D. Hamilton

Answer 7

After reading some of the answers, I am astounded that people can be so blinded by a scientific theory that they go against what they see outside their window every day. I am not talking about the natural...but the unnatural. It is claimed by evolutionists that people have "developed" a sense of what is right and wrong so it is only natural as time progresses that they would adhere to that sense. This is nonsense. If you simply look at the headlines and the world situation, it is plain to see that man is sinking lower and lower into depravity, greed, cruelty and disbelief than any other time in history (on a world wide scale). Man is not getting better with time. Man is not getting better with scientific knowledge. Man does not love more and hate less. Man as a whole (with a few exceptions) has turned more toward pleasing himself and any desire that he has he will find an excuse to fulfill. To evolve means to change for the better or to change to the more complex. Does mankind fit that description? No way.

Answer 8

Lol, in many ways the animal kingdom exhibits more moral behavior than humans.

When was the last time one type of wolf sent another type of wolf to the gas chambers? No other species has such widespread hatred of itself as humans do.

Answer 9

"Develop" That is what evolution is. It is continuing to develop and become better to our environment. Over time we will evolve to something different to continue survival in the world as we have done for thousands of years.

Answer 10

Good is the way of give. Evil is the way of get. Either can "evolve" during a person's lifetime. However, the character is more likely to be changed deliberately and abruptly rather than gradually.