Evolution Quote by Richard Dawkins
“Evolution may explain some features of the moral law, but it can't explain why it should have any real significance.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, 2006
Evolution describes how moral intuitions arise, but it does not address why they ought to matter beyond biology.
In simple terms: Evolution shows origins, not purpose.
Key Takeaway
Recognize moral values may need philosophical grounding.
Themes
ethics
science
meaning
religion
Mood
thoughtful
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- personal moral decisions
- education curricula
- interfaith dialogue
Key Concepts
evolutionary biology
metaethics
teleology
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives moral laws real significance beyond natural explanations?
- Can science alone justify moral obligations?
A Different Perspective
It may overlook cultural and existential sources of moral significance.
![“The true fountains of evidence [are] the head and heart of every rational and honest man. It is there nature has written her moral laws, and where every man may read them for himself.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4fc/thomas-jefferson-43_every-man_the-true-fountains-of-evidence-are-the-h_163246.jpg)
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
