According to Charles Darwin, what is the role of moral values in human survival?
According to Charles Darwin’s evolutionary perspective, moral values cannot be directly related to biological evolutionary processes in human survival. However, from an evolutionary perspective, moral values can be considered to play an important role in enabling people to cooperate in social life, maintain order within groups, and increase their chances of survival as a group.
Although Darwin did not directly focus on moral values, he drew attention to the importance of social behavior and interactions between groups in evolutionary processes. While moral values ensure that societies live in harmony, they enable people and other social animals to develop strategies that keep them alive. In this context, the effect of moral values on human survival can be explained as follows:
- Cooperation and Assistance
In Darwin’s evolutionary theory, the chance of survival can be evaluated not only at the individual level, but also at the social group level. Humans are social beings, and their ability to cooperate provides a great advantage in evolutionary terms. Moral values encourage individuals to help others and cooperate. This is particularly relevant to behaviors such as altruism (helping others) and cooperation.
Example: Individuals can help other members of a social group, thus contributing to the survival of their genetically close relatives (kin selection). In addition, cooperation can increase the chances of survival of group members by ensuring that resources within the group are used more efficiently. Cooperation plays a vital role in actions that directly affect survival, such as group hunting, defense, or resource sharing.
- Group Selection and Solidarity
Darwin discussed the theory of selection at the group level and stated that solidarity within a group allows individuals to survive and succeed. When communities consist of individuals who help each other for their common interests, the chance of survival as a group increases. Moral values strengthen such social bonds.
Example: Moral values such as justice, honesty, and cooperation within a group allow individuals to trust each other. Trust enables group members to cooperate more effectively, which increases the survival of the group.
- Kin Selection
Darwin’s theory of kin selection suggests that it may be evolutionarily advantageous for individuals to help relatives to whom they are genetically close. This provides an evolutionary basis for altruistic behavior in particular. Moral values support such behavior.
Example: Kin selection suggests that helping one’s siblings, parents, or children indirectly increases the chances of spreading one’s own genetic material. People may act out of a sense of moral responsibility when they provide such assistance.
- Social Norms and Order
Darwin may have stated that humans have developed social norms and moral values to ensure order and cooperation within groups. Moral values create the norms necessary to ensure social harmony and help communities survive together. These norms lead individuals to feel responsible not only to themselves but also to their communities.
Example: Social norms and moral rules enable people to live in harmony with other individuals and maintain order in society. This increases the group’s chances of survival because order leads to efficient use of resources, reduced conflict, and enhanced cooperation.
- Evolutionary Psychology and Morality
According to evolutionary psychology, moral values may derive from psychological tendencies that genetically predispose humans to adopt social and cooperative behaviors. The tendency of humans to understand the feelings of others, to empathize, and to form social bonds may have facilitated survival within the group.
Example: People tend to feel the pain of others and to help them. This creates strong bonds within the group and ensures the survival of the group in the long run.