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Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
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Evolutionary Debunking Arguments.

Guy Kahane1

  • 1University of Oxford.

Nous (Detroit, Mich.)
|September 28, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Evolutionary debunking arguments (EDAs) challenge the justification of our moral beliefs by examining their evolutionary origins. This paper argues EDAs face significant obstacles, potentially requiring radical revisions to our ethical outlook.

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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy
  • Ethics
  • Evolutionary Psychology

Background:

  • Evolutionary debunking arguments (EDAs) question the validity of ethical judgments based on their evolutionary roots.
  • EDAs are increasingly utilized in normative ethics discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clarify the premises and presuppositions of EDAs.
  • To assess the obstacles and implications of using EDAs in normative ethics.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of EDAs.
  • Examination of metaethical objectivism's role.
  • Comparison with global evolutionary debunking arguments.

Main Results:

  • EDAs presuppose metaethical objectivism.
  • Targeted EDAs conflict with global EDAs.
  • Even successful defenses of EDAs necessitate significant ethical revision.

Conclusions:

  • The application of EDAs in normative ethics faces substantial theoretical challenges.
  • EDAs, if valid, demand a radical reevaluation of our entire ethical framework.