Life according to nature : problems and prospects of evolutionary ethics /
Western moral and political philosophy has long celebrated civilization and its alleged triumphs. But in an age of climate crisis and growing inequality, we are compelled to ask is relentless economic growth truly compatible with human flourishing? And are the claims we encounter in philosophy from...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
[Bradford, UK] :
Ethics International Press,
2025.
|
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Western moral and political philosophy has long celebrated civilization and its alleged triumphs. But in an age of climate crisis and growing inequality, we are compelled to ask is relentless economic growth truly compatible with human flourishing? And are the claims we encounter in philosophy from Plato to Kant and up to the present day, positing a well-governed universe and linking war, patriarchy and social hierarchy to human nature, justified? Outside the dominant tradition, the idea of a lost Golden Age of equality and plenty remained lively, thanks to Lucretius and Rousseau, who reminded readers of the oppression inherent in civilized life. In the 19th century, Charles Darwin's theory of evolution invited us to see ourselves as co-operative social primates. Yet 'primitivism' was subject to ridicule, and Darwinism's promise of reinvigorating moral and social philosophy was overshadowed by the distortions of Social Darwinism, eugenics and a crude evolutionary psychology. Where, then, do social justice and personal morality fit in a scientific worldview? This book proposes a "new naturalism," drawing insights from evolutionary biology and from human societies outside the bounds of modern industrial civilization. In doing so, it uncovers fresh perspectives on gender equality, the division of labor and the enduring challenges of aggression and domination. |
|---|---|
| Physical Description: | xix, 267 pages ; 22 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages [245]-267). |
| ISBN: | 1837114994 9781837114993 |