The evolution of morality: Adaptation and innateness

Abstract

Morality emerges from a complex interplay of evolutionary adaptations, neurocomputational systems, and symbolic cognition. Ethical naturalism situates moral theory within human ecology, utilizing a neocompatibilist framework to reconcile agency with causal necessity. Human reasoning regarding obligations is governed by domain-specific evolved mechanisms, such as those for social exchange and cheater detection, which challenge the descriptive adequacy of domain-general deontic logics. Specific moral sentiments, including the aversion to incest, function as biological adaptations or by-products designed to mitigate the fitness costs of inbreeding. Beyond survival, sexual selection serves as a critical driver for the evolution of virtues like kindness and fidelity, which act as hard-to-fake indicators of genetic quality and parental investment. The transition to distinctively human morality is facilitated by the cognitive breakdown of modular boundaries, enabling the abstract representation and categorical evaluation of behavior. While certain models propose innate biases that shape the thematic clustering of moral norms, alternative perspectives suggest morality is a cultural construct derived from non-moral emotional precursors, such as empathy and vicarious distress. Together, these frameworks provide a naturalistic basis for understanding the diversity, developmental stability, and biological foundations of human moral systems. – AI-generated abstract.