Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection

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Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection. / Witteveen, Joeri.

In: Synthese, Vol. 198, 2021, p. 6009–6024.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Witteveen, J 2021, 'Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection', Synthese, vol. 198, pp. 6009–6024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9

APA

Witteveen, J. (2021). Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection. Synthese, 198, 6009–6024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9

Vancouver

Witteveen J. Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection. Synthese. 2021;198:6009–6024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9

Author

Witteveen, Joeri. / Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection. In: Synthese. 2021 ; Vol. 198. pp. 6009–6024.

Bibtex

@article{2246474adb3c4291b499ffd8be594e56,
title = "Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection",
abstract = "An influential species of evolutionary debunking argument (EDA) against moral realism holds that since cumulative natural selection (likely) shaped the contents of our moral beliefs, those beliefs do not count as knowledge. Critics have taken issue with a range of empirical, epistemic, and metaphysical assumptions that EDAs are said to rely on, which has engendered a complex debate over whether and to what extent the debunking challenge succeeds. However, recently it has been argued that we can reject EDAs without having to enter this thicket of issues. EDAs supposedly fail at the outset, by trading on a glaring misunderstanding about the scope of natural selection explanations. I argue that this objection to EDAs fails, and itself rests on a mistaken view of natural selection explanation and its relation to justification.",
author = "Joeri Witteveen",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9",
language = "English",
volume = "198",
pages = "6009–6024",
journal = "Synthese",
issn = "0039-7857",
publisher = "Springer",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evolutionary debunking arguments and the explanatory scope of natural selection

AU - Witteveen, Joeri

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - An influential species of evolutionary debunking argument (EDA) against moral realism holds that since cumulative natural selection (likely) shaped the contents of our moral beliefs, those beliefs do not count as knowledge. Critics have taken issue with a range of empirical, epistemic, and metaphysical assumptions that EDAs are said to rely on, which has engendered a complex debate over whether and to what extent the debunking challenge succeeds. However, recently it has been argued that we can reject EDAs without having to enter this thicket of issues. EDAs supposedly fail at the outset, by trading on a glaring misunderstanding about the scope of natural selection explanations. I argue that this objection to EDAs fails, and itself rests on a mistaken view of natural selection explanation and its relation to justification.

AB - An influential species of evolutionary debunking argument (EDA) against moral realism holds that since cumulative natural selection (likely) shaped the contents of our moral beliefs, those beliefs do not count as knowledge. Critics have taken issue with a range of empirical, epistemic, and metaphysical assumptions that EDAs are said to rely on, which has engendered a complex debate over whether and to what extent the debunking challenge succeeds. However, recently it has been argued that we can reject EDAs without having to enter this thicket of issues. EDAs supposedly fail at the outset, by trading on a glaring misunderstanding about the scope of natural selection explanations. I argue that this objection to EDAs fails, and itself rests on a mistaken view of natural selection explanation and its relation to justification.

U2 - 10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9

DO - 10.1007/s11229-019-02446-9

M3 - Journal article

VL - 198

SP - 6009

EP - 6024

JO - Synthese

JF - Synthese

SN - 0039-7857

ER -

ID: 229105358