Draft 1: The Seven Deadly Sins: Moral Systems in an Evolutionary Perspective

Hypothesis:
Adherence to a moral/ethical system of behavior limits an individual's reproductive potential in exchange for greater social acceptance and group benefit. In the absence of social consequences, an individual's natural tendency will be away from prescribed moral behavior.

Test Methods:
We will administer surveys comprised of hypothetical moral situations and/or concrete questions regarding morality. The results will be compiled and statistical analysis of the data performed to determine what, if any, trends exist.

Potential Sources:

-Huxley, Thomas H. Evolution and Ethics, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1989.

-Irons, William. "How Did Morality Evolve?" Zygon 26:49-89, 1991.

-MacIntyre, Alasdair. A Short History of Ethics, New York: Macmillan, 1966.

-Rachels, James. Created from Animals: The Moral Implications of Darwinism. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.

-Schweder, Richard A., M. Mahapatra, and J.G. Miller. "Culture and Moral Development," in Kagan, Jerome and Sharon Lamb (eds.) The Emergence of Morality in Young Children, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987.

-Singer, Peter. "Ethics and Sociobiology," Zygon 19: 139-51, 1984.

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