Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology

Charles Darwin’s moral sense – on Darwin’s ethics of non-violence
drew on several different, individual theories contributed to such equivocality (Engels
2000, pp. 121-137).
Even where Darwin’s ethical reflections go beyond the level of description and explanation
and the attempt is made to pass judgments, for example in his discussion on
the great significance of social virtues and moral progress in cultural history, the endeavor
is not made from a meta-ethical standpoint nor does it constitute an attempt to
derive norms and values from natural history. Instead, his reflections are primarily informed
by his rootedness in a certain philosophical tradition.
What role can biology or a certain biological theory play for meta-ethics and normative
ethics, however? And what role does ethics play for biology? This article does not
focus on such questions, but I would like to provide a short answer to them in these
closing remarks. Biological theories – in connection with other natural, social and human
scientific theories – can provide us with insights on the natural foundations and scope of
our actions. They could help us to realize the goals set by our moral sense by making the
conditions under which we take action transparent. Only in this way will it become possible
to take these conditions into account when it comes to our behavior and actions,
allowing us to influence such conditions if necessary. It is reassuring to know that nature
has equipped us with a heritage of sympathy and compassion and that with the help of
our “free intelligence”, we have the capacity to make use of it properly. The biological
sciences cannot formulate the criteria for appropriateness alone, however. For this, ethics
is needed. In our context, ethics is also relevant in another respect, namely insofar as
it offers a direct instrument of reflection when it comes to formulating biological concepts
and applying them. Criteria for the “degeneration” of the human species, for illness
and weakness, are not purely biological in nature, but rather are based on certain values
and norms. It is important that an ethics in the biological sciences make this fact explicit
and reflects it critically. (Engels 2005).
References
A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles. Vol. II.C., Oxford 1893.
Barrett, P. H., Gautrey, P. J., Herbert, S., Kohn, D., Smith, S. (eds.) (1987) Charles Darwin's
Notebooks, 1836 - 1844. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Browne, J. (1995) Charles Darwin Voyaging. Volume I of a Biography. Pimlico, London.
Burkhardt, F., Smith, S. et al. (eds.) (1985ff) The Correspondence of Charles Darwin. To date 14
vols. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. (Cited as CCD).
Bayertz, K. (1998) Darwinismus als Politik. Zur Genese des Sozialdarwinismus in Deutschland
1860 - 1900. In: Aescht, E., Aubrecht, G., Krauße, E., Speta, F. (eds.): Welträtsel und Lebenswunder.
Ernst Haeckel - Werk, Wirkung und Folgen. Stapfia 56, simultanenously catalogue
of the Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, New Series 131. Druckerei Gutenberg,
Linz, pp. 229 - 288.
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