Abstract
The Origins of Ethics in Darwin’s Theory of Evolution The 19th century stands out as a period, when Darwin strongly contradicted the common theories on how species come about and suggested a new theory of evolution. The theory maintains that living beings, including human beings, have evolved through a long struggle into existence in an environment only governed by coincidences without the will of a divine power. This period of evolu-‐‑tionary change has had a pround influence on thoughts over ethics generally regarded as the most distinctive feature of humans. It has been under debate whether there is an innate ethical ability gained through biological evolution. Given that it is wise to explore the early traces of an understan-‐‑ding of evolutionary ethics in the theories suggested by Darwin, this study seeks to investigate how he deals with ethical issues in his theory of evolution, also known as Darwinism.
References
- Armstrong, A.C., “The Progress of Evolution”, The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, V. 9, No. 13 (Jun.20, 1912).
- Benn, Alfred W., “The Relation of Ethics to Evolution”, International Jo-urnal of Ethics, V. 11, No. 1 (Oct., 1990).
- Bertrand, Alexis, Ahlâk Felsefesi, çev. Salih Zeki, sad. Hayrani Altıntaş, Ankara, Seba Yayınları, 1999.
- Bowlby, John, “Charles Darwin: Yeni Bir Yaşam”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- Bradie, Michael, “The Moral Status of Animals in Eighteenth-Century British Philosophy”, Biology and the Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Bulholf, Ilse Nina, The Language of Science, Leiden: Brill Publishing Com-pany, 1992.
- Corning, Peter Andrew, “Evolutionary Ethics an Idea Whose Time Has Come? An Overview And An Affirmation”, Politics and The Life Sciences, V. 22, No. 1 (March 2003).
- Darwin, Charles, “The Origin of The Moral Sense”, Ethics, ed. Peter Sin-ger, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Darwin, İnsanın Türeyişi, çev. Yavuz Erkoçak, Ankara, Sol Yayınları, 1968.
- Darwin, İnsan ve Hayvanlarda Beden Dili, çev. Orhan Tuncay, İstanbul: Gün Yayınları, 2001.
- Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, New York: D. Appleton and Company.
- Darwin, The Descent of Man, Lawrance: Digireads.com Publishing, 2009.
- Dobzhansky, Theodosius, “Evrimin Işığı Olmadan Biyolojide Hiçbir Şe-yin Anlamı Yoktur”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- Duralı, Teoman, “Yüzyılımıza Damgasını Vuran Çağdaş Evrim Düşün-cesinin Doğuşu”, Felsefe Arkivi, sy. 25, İstanbul 1984.
- Engels, Eve-Marie, “Charles Darwin’s Moral Sense on Darwin’s Ethics of Non-Violence”, Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology, V. 10 (2005).
- Greene, John C., Darwin And The Modern World View, USA: Louisiana Sta-te University Press, 1981.
- Gulick, Addison, “A Biological Prologue for Human Values”, BioScience, v. 18, No. 12 (December 1968) .
- Joyce, Richard, The Evolution of Morality, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2006.
- Mayr, Ernst, “Darwinciliğin Felsefi Temelleri”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- McGrath, Alister E., Dawkin’s God, Genes, Memes, And The Meaning of Life, USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
- Peirce, Charles Sanders, “The Architecture of Theories”, Philosophers of Process, ed. Douglas Browning-William T.Myers, USA: Fordham University Press, 1998.
- Rachel, James, Created From Animals, The Moral Implications of Darwinism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
- Raphael, David Daiches, Moral Philosophy, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Richards, Robert J., “Darwin’s Romantic Biology, The Foundation of His Evolutionary Ethics”, Biology And The Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Ruse, Michael, Taking Darwin Seriously, New York: Prometheus Books, 1998.
- Ruse, Michael ve Wilson, Edward O., “Evolution of Ethics”, Philosophy of Biology, ed. Michael Ruse, New York: State University of New York Press, 1988.
- Seth, James, “The Evolution of Morality”, Mind, v. 14, No. 53 (January 1889).
- Singer, Peter (ed.), Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Spencer, Herbert, The Principles of Ethics, V. I-II, Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1978.
- Thompson, Paul, “Evolutionary Ethics: Its Origins And Contemporary Face”, Zygon, V. 34, No. 3 (September 1999).
- Vicedo, Marga, “Laws of Inheritance and Rules of Morality” Biology and The Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Abstract
19.yy., Darwin’in canlıların varlığa gelişleriyle ilgili alışılmış kanaatlerin tersine bir iddiaya sahip evrim teorisini kuvvetli ve etkili bir şekilde dillendirdiği dönem olması itibariyle önemlidir. Bu teoriye göre insanın da dahil olduğu canlılar skalası ilahi bir kudrete ihtiyaç duymaksızın ve önceden belirlenmeksizin rastlantılarla örülü bir dünyada çok uzun bir zaman içerisinde ve çetin mücadeleler sonucunda evrim geçirerek ortaya çıkmıştır. Evrime dayalı bu varlığa geliş biçimi insanın en belirleyici özelliği olan ahlaka dair düşünceleri de etkilemiştir. Özellikle biyolojik evrime paralel olarak ahlaki bir potansiyel kazanılıp kazanılmadığı, dolayısıyla ahlakın biyolojik evrimin bir ürünü olup olmadığı da tartışma alanına çıkmıştır. Evrimci bir ahlak anlayışının ilk örneğini veya kaynağını teoriyle özdeşleşen ve hatta teorinin babası sayılan Darwin’in görüşlerinde aramanın en doğru yaklaşım olacağı düşüncesiyle bu makalede onun biyolojik evrim anlayışında ahlakın nerede durduğu ve nasıl açıklandığı ele alınmıştır.
References
- Armstrong, A.C., “The Progress of Evolution”, The Journal of Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Methods, V. 9, No. 13 (Jun.20, 1912).
- Benn, Alfred W., “The Relation of Ethics to Evolution”, International Jo-urnal of Ethics, V. 11, No. 1 (Oct., 1990).
- Bertrand, Alexis, Ahlâk Felsefesi, çev. Salih Zeki, sad. Hayrani Altıntaş, Ankara, Seba Yayınları, 1999.
- Bowlby, John, “Charles Darwin: Yeni Bir Yaşam”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- Bradie, Michael, “The Moral Status of Animals in Eighteenth-Century British Philosophy”, Biology and the Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Bulholf, Ilse Nina, The Language of Science, Leiden: Brill Publishing Com-pany, 1992.
- Corning, Peter Andrew, “Evolutionary Ethics an Idea Whose Time Has Come? An Overview And An Affirmation”, Politics and The Life Sciences, V. 22, No. 1 (March 2003).
- Darwin, Charles, “The Origin of The Moral Sense”, Ethics, ed. Peter Sin-ger, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Darwin, İnsanın Türeyişi, çev. Yavuz Erkoçak, Ankara, Sol Yayınları, 1968.
- Darwin, İnsan ve Hayvanlarda Beden Dili, çev. Orhan Tuncay, İstanbul: Gün Yayınları, 2001.
- Darwin, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, New York: D. Appleton and Company.
- Darwin, The Descent of Man, Lawrance: Digireads.com Publishing, 2009.
- Dobzhansky, Theodosius, “Evrimin Işığı Olmadan Biyolojide Hiçbir Şe-yin Anlamı Yoktur”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- Duralı, Teoman, “Yüzyılımıza Damgasını Vuran Çağdaş Evrim Düşün-cesinin Doğuşu”, Felsefe Arkivi, sy. 25, İstanbul 1984.
- Engels, Eve-Marie, “Charles Darwin’s Moral Sense on Darwin’s Ethics of Non-Violence”, Annals of the History and Philosophy of Biology, V. 10 (2005).
- Greene, John C., Darwin And The Modern World View, USA: Louisiana Sta-te University Press, 1981.
- Gulick, Addison, “A Biological Prologue for Human Values”, BioScience, v. 18, No. 12 (December 1968) .
- Joyce, Richard, The Evolution of Morality, Cambridge: MIT Press, 2006.
- Mayr, Ernst, “Darwinciliğin Felsefi Temelleri”, Cogito, sy. 60-61, YKY, Güz-Kış 2009.
- McGrath, Alister E., Dawkin’s God, Genes, Memes, And The Meaning of Life, USA: Blackwell Publishing, 2005.
- Peirce, Charles Sanders, “The Architecture of Theories”, Philosophers of Process, ed. Douglas Browning-William T.Myers, USA: Fordham University Press, 1998.
- Rachel, James, Created From Animals, The Moral Implications of Darwinism, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990.
- Raphael, David Daiches, Moral Philosophy, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Richards, Robert J., “Darwin’s Romantic Biology, The Foundation of His Evolutionary Ethics”, Biology And The Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Ruse, Michael, Taking Darwin Seriously, New York: Prometheus Books, 1998.
- Ruse, Michael ve Wilson, Edward O., “Evolution of Ethics”, Philosophy of Biology, ed. Michael Ruse, New York: State University of New York Press, 1988.
- Seth, James, “The Evolution of Morality”, Mind, v. 14, No. 53 (January 1889).
- Singer, Peter (ed.), Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.
- Spencer, Herbert, The Principles of Ethics, V. I-II, Indianapolis: Liberty Classics, 1978.
- Thompson, Paul, “Evolutionary Ethics: Its Origins And Contemporary Face”, Zygon, V. 34, No. 3 (September 1999).
- Vicedo, Marga, “Laws of Inheritance and Rules of Morality” Biology and The Foundation of Ethics, ed. Jane Maienschein ve Michael Ruse, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Details
| Primary Language | Turkish |
|---|---|
| Journal Section | Articles |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | May 25, 2015 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2014 Issue: 30 |
