Responding to the Darwinian Dilemma: Navigating the Lure of Universal Normativity and the Threat of Evaluative Skepticism
Cares, Jonathan P
Cares, Jonathan P
Citations
Altmetric:
License
License
Abstract
Several philosophers have constructed arguments that rely crucially on the thesis that evolution influences moral beliefs. These arguments are called evolutionary debunking arguments, and are meant to “debunk” our moral beliefs, i.e. show that they’re unjustified, by undermining the processes by which those beliefs came about. This thesis will focus on evolutionary debunking arguments, and, more specifically, on an argument called the Darwinian Dilemma. I have chosen to specifically discuss the Darwinian Dilemma (which will be called the DD henceforth) because of all evolutionary debunking arguments, it poses the biggest threat to the metaethical view of realism. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate realism in light of the challenges exposed by the Darwinian Dilemma. To do so, I first identify the challenges the Darwinian Dilemma exposes for realism and I introduce the desideratum of universal normativity. I then evaluate realism in light of those challenges to determine whether realism can successfully respond to the Darwinian Dilemma and avoid the threat of evaluative skepticism.
Description
Date
2016-01-01
Student Status
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type of presentation
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
DOI
Advisor(s)
Department
Philosophy