Above and beyond Quote by Michael Ruse
“Morality is a biological adaptation no less than are hands and feet and teeth... Considered as a rationally justifiable set of claims about an objective something, ethics is illusory. I appreciate that when somebody says, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself,' they think they are referring above and beyond themselves... Nevertheless... such reference is truly without foundation. Morality is just an aid to survival and reproduction... and any deeper meaning is illusory...”
About This Quote
Source Book: Darwinian Morality, Michael Ruse, 1998
Morality evolved as a survival tool, not as a reflection of objective truth.
In simple terms: Morality is an evolutionary aid, not an absolute.
Key Takeaway
Recognize moral judgments as adaptive, not absolute.
Themes
evolution
morality
survival
philosophy
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- personal decisionmaking
- policy design
- interpersonal conflict
- education
- lawmaking
Key Concepts
adaptation
subjectivity
ethical relativism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing morality as adaptive change your ethical choices?
- Can societies build shared values without objective foundations?
A Different Perspective
Moral frameworks can be manipulated to justify harmful actions.
![“Fifth, I think that you [Daniel Dennett] and Richard are absolute disasters in the fight against intelligent design — we are losing this battle, not the least of which is the two new supreme court justices who are certainly going to vote to let it into classrooms — what we need is not knee-jerk…” quote by Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6d6/michael-ruse-35791_intelligent-design_fifth-i-think-that-you-daniel-dennett-an_1658804.jpg)
![“Their [the new atheists] treatment of the religious viewpoint is pathetic to the point of non-being. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion would fail any introductory philosophy or religion course. Proudly he criticizes that whereof he knows nothing.” quote by Michael Ruse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1db/michael-ruse-35791_atheist_their-the-new-atheists-treatment-of-the_1955646.jpg)
