Evolutionary Ethics is the viewpoint that ethical beliefs have developed through evolution to help humankind survive and reproduce. Humans “think” that they have duties, but there are no “moral” obligations as they are adaptations designed to assist with survival as a species. Humans sense of duty and morals is only of “biological worth.”^[1]

The first problem with this viewpoint is that God is not the engineer of producing these moral beliefs. Another issue is the existence of human dignity, worth, and responsibility that is larger than a genetic obligation as there is a perception of value in humans. The third is the determination process being reliable if all humans do is react to naturalistic evolution that is wired for survival and not other morals or values. This could mean that truth is not necessary as it is survival that trumps all other actions and statements. The last problem is the origin of the need to have duties or “oughts,” where did these come from in a universe of electrons and self-replicating genes?^[2]

The most compelling reason to reject evolutionary ethics is the absence of God to explain the motivation for humans to want to do something more than exist. There is a gap between the state of a person being something and wanting to do something for a reason. The existence of a good God fills this gap more clearly than evolutionary ethics that does not place value on humans other than to help each other survive. God is a divine creator who established moral principles and did not rely on evolution to create them. God’s truths are rooted in His nature and are not ethics adapted to survival. God places value on humans and that is not part of evolutionary ethics.

If the ultimate ethical goal is survival, then it may be argued that murdering a human life to “preserve” another human life does not present an ethical issue. This reinforces the absurdity of the notion of evolutionary ethics being valid. Darwin’s evolution theory sparked much debate and thought on evolutionary ethics but it has many limitations. Farber writes, “Most serious was its failure to resolve two of the main issues in traditional moral philosophy: sanction for individual action, and justification for the foundations of ethics.”^[3] Some of this was caused by the originators of the theory as they were thinking of their own origins on how the British, middle-class, was a result of many centuries of improvements from the barbaric days of lesser morals and values. The example of euthanizing the elderly and removing certain ethnic groups is against Scripture and it would be impossible to think that evolutionary ethics would support these concepts. This would mean that serial killers might be validated if they had a good enough “reason” which would be chaos. There would need to be priorities on what overrules what when there are conflicts. If a decision needed to be made on an elderly person over a youth, it might be determined on a case-by-case basis for each to justify why they are higher priority. Having God as the basis for morals is not only truth but the only logical conclusion long-term. 

God’s truth in Scripture help humans understand Him and what is expected of them. McQuilkin and Copan state, “When we understand that a good God is our Creator and the cosmic authority and that we are co-rulers with God to care for creation and to shape culture so that fellow humans may flourish, many moral issues come into proper focus.”^[4]

McQuilkin and Copan did not overstate the evolutionary ethics. Christian ethics and Evolutionary ethics seem to go against each other. It is hard to suggest that these two ethics can coexist and be truth. Julian Huxley, the grandson of Thomas Huxley, was a supporter of Charles Darwin. He is noted for his evolutionary humanism which builds on his grandfather’s assertion of evolutionary ethics. This viewpoint has been losing traction lately. Geisler states, “With the foundations of modern evolution crumbling, the basis of Huxley’s evolutionary humanism is being destroyed too.”^[5] Another discredit to evolution ethics would be the support from Hitler on the viewpoint of the survival of the fittest. “In Hitler’s view, the Aryan race was simply superior, and maintaining racial purity was an evolutionary ethic”^[6] Hitler stated directly that he was concerned with the human race being strong and dominate and that some races were weaker and should be removed. 

Evolutionary ethics has morality determined by natural selection emerging over time. This means that it could change as conditions change. This means what is right today might not be right tomorrow. They are considered adaptive illusions created by biological evolution. This is in contrast to the truth. Moral principles are derived from the nature and divine will of God who established moral truths that are true yesterday, today, and tomorrow because He does not change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb 13:8, New King James Version).

There is more to the universe than evolution, there is God and His creation with a purpose. Geisler explains, “The evolutionary ethic involves some serious problems. How does society preserve individual rights of those who are blocking social evolution…Many bad things evolve too. If so, there must be some standard outside of the evolutionary process by which to know what is good or bad.”^[7]

Notes from Professor: Helpful exploration of the intersection of evolutionary ethics and the Gospel. – Dr. Todd Buck

Bibliography

Farber, Paul Lawrence. The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics. Berkley: University of California Press, 1994.

Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999.

McLaughlin, Rebecca. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019.

McQuilkin, Robertson, and Paul Copan. An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom. 3rd ed. IVP, 2014.

---

^[1] Robertson McQuilkin and Paul Copan, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics: Walking in the Way of Wisdom, 3rd ed. (IVP, 2014), 180.

^[2] Ibid., 182.

[3] Paul Lawrence Farber, The Temptations of Evolutionary Ethics (Berkley: University of California Press, 1994).

^[4] Ibid., 182.

[5] Norman L. Geisler, “Huxley, Julian,” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 348.

[6] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019), 87.

^[7] Norman L. Geisler, “Huxley, Julian,” Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, Baker Reference Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999), 347.