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Evolution and its implications for ethics
Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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University of Pretoria
2015
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| _version_ | 1867613630690754561 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author2 | Antonites, Alex J. |
| author_browse | Antonites, Alex J. |
| author_facet | Antonites, Alex J. |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | © 2014 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
| description | Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/43265 |
| institution | University of Pretoria (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:39:12.360Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | University of Pretoria |
| publisherStr | University of Pretoria |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository |
| spelling | oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/43265 Evolution and its implications for ethics Antonites, Alex J. carlaturner@active.co.za Hofmeyr, A.B. (Benda) Turner, Carla Evolution Social Darwinism Ethics Primate behavioural studies Self - consciousness UCTD Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. In this dissertation I will consider the extent to which our ethical actions are determined by evolution, as well as the consequences of a view that holds that ethical behaviour arose from evolutionary processes. I will further investigate whether evolution can supply a complete account of ethics in the physical world, without sacrificing human freedom and rationality. To do this, I will start by considering the possible negative consequences of applying evolution to human behaviour, in the forms of Social Darwinism and eugenics. I will argue that while these systems of thought are ethically and scientifically unsound, there is strong evidence for the evolutionary origins of ethics, where ethics can be seen as an adaptation that offers a benefit to the individual exhibiting this behaviour. This view is supported by sociobiology, studies in primate behaviour and neuroscience. The implications of ethics as an evolutionary adaptation will be compared to Kantian morality, which is premised on freedom and autonomy, which I will argue are inconsistent with some scientific explanations. While an evolutionary account of ethics can lead to a deterministic view of our behaviour, new developments in neuroscience claim that freedom is an evolutionary adaptation. This naturally developed freedom, combined with self-consciousness, can supply us with an evolutionary account of ethics that does not need augmentation from transcendental principles. lk2014 Philosophy MA Unrestricted 2015-01-19T12:13:21Z 2015-01-19T12:13:21Z 2014/12/12 2014 Dissertation Turner, C 2014, Evolution and its implications for ethics, MA Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/43265> M14/9/127 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/43265 en © 2014 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria |
| spellingShingle | Evolution Social Darwinism Ethics Primate behavioural studies Self - consciousness UCTD Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title | Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title_full | Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title_fullStr | Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title_short | Evolution and its implications for ethics |
| title_sort | evolution and its implications for ethics |
| topic | Evolution Social Darwinism Ethics Primate behavioural studies Self - consciousness UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/2263/43265 |