Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism

254 Pages·1990·3.58 MB·English

by  James Rachels

CREATEDF ROM ANIMALS

CREATED
FROM
ANIMALS
THE MORAL IMPLICATIONS
OF DARWINISM
JAMESR ACHELS
OxfordN ewY ork
OXFORD UNIVERSITYP RESS
1990
OxJorUdn iverPsrietsy117s a,/ toSlt1r eOextJ,o rDdx 26 DP
OxJorNdew YorkT oronto
DeillBio mbaCya lcuMtatdar aKsa rachi
PctalJianygaS illgaHpoonrgKe o ngT okyo
NairoDbair e sS alaaCma peT OWII
MelbolA/umec kland
anda ssocicaotmepda lirlile s
BerlIibna dall
OxJoirdsa t ramdaer ko jO xfordU llivePrrseistsy
© JameRsa che1l9s9 0
Allr iglrlelsse rNvoep da.r otjt hipsl /blicmaatyib oelr le produced,
sloerdi lalu lrievsayls teomrt, r ansmiirnar neyJd,o rmo rb ya nym eans,
electrmoelclhiae,n ipchaoll,o copryeicnogr,do iron tgh,e rwiwsiet,h oUi
thper ipoerr misosjiO oxnJ orUdn iverPsrietssy
Tllibso oikss olmdb je1c0tt hcelJ 1ldirtIi,ilJ1atslt h an/lo rb,yw ay
ojt raodreo therwibsele, e nrtN,o ld,h iroeudto ro therwicsier culated
withotuhpten blisphreirco'orsm enitna nyJ ormo jbi ndillgo rc over
othtehra tnh aitnw hicihti sp ublisahnedwd i thoals litm icloanrd ition
inclutdhiincsgo nditbieoiilnmlgp osoendt hseu bseqpuuerclhlals er
BritLiisbhr aCrya ta/ogilnP/ uhbllgi caDtaitoan
RacheJlasm,e s1,9 41-
CreatJerdo amn imatlhsme:o railm plicaotjDi oanrwsi nism.
1.E tllIimcpsl.i caotjia onnism able haviour
L Title
170
ISBN0 -19-217775-3
LibraoryjC ongrCeastsa loigniP nugb licaDraitoaP l
RacheJlasm,e s1,9 41-
Creatferao aml lim:al lirsme o railm plicaotfDi aorwrilnJi s/Jm a meRsa dlels.
p. em.
Irlelbuidbelsi ogrraepfheiTcC1allC es.
1.E volllliona-nMdeo trhailac saple cIt.Ts i tle.
B818.R32199107 1'.7-dc8290. 38670
ISBN0 -19-217775-3
TypesbeyCt o lsPerti vaLtiem itSehd,l gapore
PrimeidnG reaBtr itabiyn
BiddiLetsd,GlI ildfoarnddK ill'sgL ynn
CONTENTS
Introduction
1.D arwinD'iss covery 6
2.H ow EvolutainodnE thiMcisg hbte R elated 62
3.M usta D arwinibeaS nc eptiacbaoluR te ligion? 99
4.H owD ifferenatr Heu manfsro mO theArn imals? 129
5.M orality wtihtIeh doeuat that aHruSemp aencsi al 173
Ackonwledgements 224
Reefrences 226
Bibliography 235
Index 243

INTRODUCTION
Mani nh iasr rogatnhcien hkism seal fg rewaotr kw orthy
thei nterposoiftadi eoint Myo.r eh umblaen dI t hink
truetroc onsihdiemrc reatferdo ma nimals.
DARWINw rotteh esweo rdisn 1 83t8w,en ty-yoenaerb seo freh ew ast o
publiTshhOe rgiionfS pec.iH eews oulgdo o nt os uppotrhtii sd ewai th
overwhelmeivnigd enacned,i nd oinsgo h ew oulbdr inagb outp rao ­
foundc hangieno urc onceptoifoo unr selAvfteesrD. a rwiwne,c ann o
longtehr inokf o urselavseo sc cupyian sgp ecipalla cien c reation­
instewaedm ,u str ealtihzaewt e a rpe roducotfts h es amee volutionary
forcewso,r kibnlgi ndalnydw ithopuutr posteh,as th apetdh er esotft he
animkailn gdoAmn.dt hiisti, s c ommonlsya ihda,sd eepph ilosophical
signifi.c ance
Ther egliiouism pilcatioofnD sa rwiniasrmeo ftend iscusFsreodm.
thoeu tscehtu,r chmheanv weo rritehdae tv olutiisio nnc ompatwiibtlhe
religWihoent.h etrh eciorn ceirsnj usfiteidi ss tidlelb ateadn,d wIi ll
havaeg oobdi ttos aayb outth iBsu.tD arwiniaslmsp oo seaps r oblfeorm
trdaitoinamlo raliTtrya.d itimoonraall intoyl ,e stsh atnr aditiroenlia­l
giona,s sumtehsa mta ni s' ag reawto rkI't.g ranttosh umanas m oral
statsuusp ertioot rh aotfa nyo thecrr eatuornee sa rtIhtr. e garhdusm an
lief,a ndo nlhyu manl ief,s s aacreadn,di tta ktehsle o voefm ankinadsi ts
first naonblde vsitr tuWeh.a tb ecomeosfa ltlh iisf,m ani sb uta
modifieadp e?
Curiousplhyi,sl oophehrasv seh owlni titnltee rienss utc qhu estions.
Thep roverb'imaalni nt hes tremeitg'h bte lietvheat th eraer eb ig
philosoplheiscsaotlno s lbeea rnferodm Darwin-boirgt h reaptoss ed
byD arwin-bbuyta ndl argaec ademic thhianvkene ortas g reeIdn.
thed ecadiemsm eidateflolyl owitnhgep ublicaotfDi aornw i'nst heory,
somep hilosopdhiedhr asv ae l otto s aya bouitt T.h eni tw asf ashion­
ablteo t hintkh aDta rwinihsamd d eepi mpilcatifoorn esv erhyitng.
Butt hiisn terqeusitc kwlayn edI.f w e examinteh em osti nfluential
workosf p hilosyo wprhittiennt het wenticeetnht ury, wfeew find
reefrencteosD arwinH.i st heoriysd iscussoefcd o,u rsien,w orks
devotneadr rowtloyt hep hilosoopfhs yc ienBcuet.i np hilosophical
workso fm oreg enerianlt ereasntdp, articulianbr oloyk sab out
ethicisti, s l argely igWnhoerne tdh.es ubjeicstb roacheidti, s
usualtloey x platihna Dta rwinidsome nso th aves omei mpclaitiiotn
isp opulatrhloyu gthoth aveT.h ep hliosophseeresmt oa grewei th
1
2 11oIdllrlllc rio
Wittgenstaesisne'sss m'eTnhteD:a rwinitahne orsya'i,Wd i ttgenstein,
'hanso m oret od o wipthhi losotphhayann yo thehry potheosfni ast ural
scie.n'ce
Why hapvhei losopwhietrahsf ,ew exceptiboenessn,o i ndeirffentto
DarwiPna?r tiltmy a yb ea reacttoti hoean b surdoifct lya itmhsa wte re
oncem adeW.h enh efi rsrte atdh eO rgii,,K alrlMa rxd eclartehda t
'Darwibno'oski sv eriy mportaanndts evres maesa basiisnn atural
selectfoirto hne c lasstsru ggilneh istyo.Lr'a tesro cialmiasdtess i milar
judgemecnltasi,m itnofig n di n Dartwhien' scienbtaisfiicos f't heir
politviiceawlMs e.a nwhiclaep,i itsawtlesr ael scol aimhiinmgi: n t hlea te
nineteecnetnht utrhyei deoaf ' thseu rviovfat lh ef ittweassti 'n voked
agaiann da gaitno j usyt ciofmpetietciovneo msiycs temIsn1. 0 90t he
Americiannd ustrAinadlriesCwta rnegwireo tteh awte m ust 'aacncde pt
welcom.e. g.re aitn equaltihtecy o;n centroaftb iuosni neisnsd,u strial
andc ommerciiantl h,e h andosf a few; andt hel awo fc ompetition
between tahsbe esien,ng o to nlbye neficbiuatle ,s senttiota hlefu ture
progroefst sh er ac.eW 'hy?B ecaucsaep itaalliosnm'e e nsutrheess u r­
viv'Oaflt hef itteTsot m'a.k e theivnegnws o rseH,e inriHcihm mler
wouldl atcelra itmh at Darwsiunpipsomr tpeudr giEnugr opoef t he
'unfiJte'w sE.x asperawtiitoshnu c nho nsense vmeirgwyhe tlp lr ovoke a
reactliiokWnei ttgenstIenit hne'f asc.oe fa ltlh iist, tiesm ptisnigm ply
tot hrouwp o ne'hsa ndasn ds ayD:a rwint'hse oirsya boubti olo1gyI,0 r
politoirec cso nomoirce st hiocrs reloirga inoynt hienlgs e.
Educatpeedo plmei ghrte sitshtei detah aDta rwinihsams m oral
implicatfioro sntsi alnlo threera soMna.n yp eoplteo datyh intkh at
Darwiniisscm o mrtaotry ru em oratlyia,n dt herye jeictfto r t harte ason.
Mosto ft hceu rrernets isttaoDn acrew inisseme msb eta otl eapsatr tially
motivabtyet dh itsh oughItnt. h eU niteSdt atetsh,e raer et hosweh o
woulldi kteob ant het eachoifneg v olutiinpo unb lsicch ootloss ;t iurp
publfieecl intgh,e pyo inttoi tssu pposeodblnyo xioiumspl icatfioro ns
religainodmn o raliTthyea. r gumeinsdt e pressifanmgillyi Tahre. idea
that Darwuinndiesrmm itnreasd itivoanlaulhea ss n owb een used so
oftena sa reafsooron b jecttiotn hget heotrhya stc ientifimcianldleyd
peopmlieg hnta turatlhliyni kt niost hibnugta ni gnornaontti otnob, e
rejecotuetod fh and.
Thel eadidneegfn deorfse volutiojnu tstathk ipeso sition-itnhseiys t
thatth etihre ocrayn p osneo t hretaomt o raloirtr ye ligbieocna utshee ir
theory has11 0i mplicaftorim oonrsa loirtr ye ligSitoenp.h JeanyG ould,
oneo ft hef oremost contemporaryo fD daerfweindneirassnm d,ce r­
tainoluyrm oste ffectiwvrei toenrt hes ubjercets,p ontdots h er ight­
wingc hallebnyg dee plor'itnhgse i ldliyc hotoomfys cienvceer sus
religiaonndb' y,a ssurhiinrsge adetrhsa' tW hiIl'em n otac onventional