An Evolutionary Account of Goodness

Abstract

This paper argues that an evolutionary account of altruism, as outlined by Dawkins, Pinker and Dennett, may be compatible with a Christian view of ethical discourse. Dawkins' approach suggests that certain universal altruistic dispositions underlie ethical discourse and that these can be accounted for in evolutionary terms. Accepting the plausibility of this account, the essay suggests that religious ethics aims at the development of a metaphysical context for common ethical intuitions as well as developing and honing these. Moreover, the evolutionary standpoint may suggest some interesting ways of reinterpreting key theological concepts such as ‘original sin’.