Evolutionary debunking explained

An evolutionary debunking, sometimes referred to as an evolutionary debunking argument or evolutionary debunking thesis, is a philosophical argument which holds that, because humans (like all organisms) have an evolutionary origin, the principles of ethics and morality that we have devised are invalid and cannot be considered objective knowledge.^{[1] [2]} Proponents of such arguments argue that they refute, or at least cast doubt on, moral realism and/or theism.^{[3] [4] [5]} However, critics have argued that these arguments are themselves invalid.^{[2] [3] [6]}

Further reading

• Encyclopedia: Morality and Evolutionary Biology . . Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University . FitzPatrick . William . 2016 . Spring 2016.
• Hanson . Louise . 2 December 2016 . The Real Problem with Evolutionary Debunking Arguments . . en . pqw075 . 10.1093/pq/pqw075 . 0031-8094 .
• Book: Arguing from Cognitive Science of Religion: Is Religious Belief Debunked? . Van Eyghen . 2020 . . 978-1-3501-0029-9. 10.5040/9781350100329.
• Muus . Harriet . 12 August 2024 . Evolutionary Ethics and Mate Selection . . Center for Open Science. 10.31234/osf.io/c659q .

Notes and References

1. Kahane . Guy . March 2011 . Evolutionary Debunking Arguments . . 45 . 1 . 103–125 . 10.1111/j.1468-0068.2010.00770.x . 3175808 . 21949447.
2. Wielenberg . Erik J.. Erik Wielenberg . April 2010 . On the Evolutionary Debunking of Morality . . 120 . 3 . 441–464 . 10.1086/652292 . 144853113. 0014-1704.
3. FitzPatrick . William J. . April 2015 . Debunking evolutionary debunking of ethical realism . . 172 . 4 . 883–904 . 10.1007/s11098-014-0295-y . 170086133 . 0031-8116.
4. Jong . Jonathan . Visala . Aku . December 2014 . Evolutionary debunking arguments against theism, reconsidered . International Journal for Philosophy of Religion . 76 . 3 . 243–258 . 10.1007/s11153-014-9461-6 . 170394509 . 0020-7047.
5. Vavova . Katia . February 2015 . Evolutionary Debunking of Moral Realism: Evolutionary Debunking of Moral Realism . . 10 . 2 . 104–116 . 10.1111/phc3.12194.
6. Book: Vavova, Katia . Oxford Studies in Metaethics . 2006 . . 978-0-19-870930-5 . Debunking Evolutionary Debunking . https://books.google.com/books?id=CmkJBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA76.