[1]Principia Cybernetica Web

                                  Evolutionary Values

   personal and social values can be derived from the implicit value underlying
   natural selection: the maximization of survival or fitness
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The source of values?

   The distinction between
   [2]knowledge and will can be mapped into another perennial issue in [3]ethics,
   that between ends (what to do: values, desires, goals) and means (how it can be
   done: beliefs, knowledge). Just as it is a truism that the ends cannot justify
   the means, so it is that the means cannot choose the ends. The theory of ethics
   recognizes goals as [4]values, or what is good. Philosophical ethics has long
   been aware of this split between [5]knowledge and values.

   There have been many attempts to search for a "primary value", from which the
   others can be derived. [6]God's will has been suggested as a theological source
   of such a value. This we must reject as non-scientific and non-[7]constructive.
   An alternative ethical theory relies on naturalism (what is, is good), but the
   underlying assumption that values can be derived from states of affairs has been
   criticized as the "naturalistic fallacy".

   A logical approach considers what combinations of goals will result in stable
   systems. The culmination of this approach is Kant's categorical imperative, which
   states that only actions which can be universally generalized to all actors can
   be ethical. Thus murder is unethical since universal generalization (universal
   murder) results in a lack of victims to further murder.

Evolution as source of values

   Our approach is developed from the conceptual basis outlined above, and is a
   combination of the last two approaches. While primary values cannot be derived
   from nature, they must be consistent with evolution and natural [8]selection, the
   primary mechanism that has generated all of nature. This mechanism has an
   implicit value, as selection entails a preference for certain states of affairs
   over others. Natural selection can be seen to strive to maximize survival or
   fitness. Thus we take [9]survival, in the most general sense, as the primary
   value. If we also take into account reproduction, the more general evolutionary
   value is [10]fitness: maximizing the probability that our genes (or memes) will
   still be around in future generations.

   Because of the "[11]Red Queen Principle" the seemingly conservative value of
   survival necessarily entails continuing progress, development, or [12]growth: if
   you do not innovate by constantly trying out new [13]variations, you will sooner
   or later lose the competition with those that do innovate. Thus we can from there
   derive the ultimate good as the continuation of the [14]process of evolution
   itself, in the negative sense of avoiding evolutionary "dead ends" and general
   extinction, in the positive sense of constantly increasing our fitness, and thus
   our intelligence, degree of organization and general mastery over the universe.

Positive feelings

   Because natural selection has shaped our needs and emotions, the value of fitness
   is actually built into our genes: organisms whose genes did not try to maximize
   fitness have been eliminated. Therefore, most of the things we intuitively feel
   to be good or pleasant, such as food, safety, sex, curiosity, love, or social
   support, are actually instantiations of the evolutionary value of fitness. More
   generally, [15]happiness is an overall sign that our basic evolutionary needs are
   being satisfied, and can therefore be seen as a strong indicator of fitness.

   The utilitarian value of "the greatest happiness for the greatest number" is
   therefore largely synonymous with the evolutionary value of maximizing the
   fitness of humanity. The main difference is in the time-scale: if it were
   possible to make everybody perfectly happy at this moment (e.g. by the massive
   distribution of opioid drugs), but this situation were unsustainable in the
   longer term, then evolutionary values would dictate that we should reject this
   state of affairs and prefer long term survival to short-term pleasure.

   According to the need theory of Abraham Maslow, satisfying needs and thus
   increasing happiness typically happens in a particular sequence, starting with
   the lower, physiological needs, such as hunger, thirst and safety, and building
   up to the highest needs: maximally developing one's cognitive, emotional and
   social competences, or what he called "[16]self-actualization". Achieving
   self-actualization is accompanied by a number of specific personality
   characteristics, such as openness to experience, empathy and tolerance towards
   others, creativity, high self-confidence and self-esteem.

Social Values

   There are a few cases in which our in-born emotions are inconsistent with more
   high-level values or ethics. For example, our genes may stimulate us at moments
   to be greedy, jealous, or aggressive. This is because natural selection until now
   has optimized the fitness of the genes, not of humanity as whole. This produces a
   strong tendency to [17]selfishness: caring only for oneself and one's direct kin.
   Yet, natural selection has also discovered the value of altruism and
   [18]cooperation, although, because of the initial [19]blindness of variation, the
   evolution of these values is more subtle and takes a longer time.

   In a world which becomes ever more interdependent, these are the values that need
   the strongest emphasis, both because they become ever more essential for humanity
   to survive, and because the support they get from our genetic tendencies is
   relatively weak. In this case, natural selection of the genes has to to make
   space for natural selection of the memes (cultural codes of conduct), in order to
   develop a shared code of ethics (see [20]memetic evolution of cooperation). This
   is especially true if humanity is to tackle the problems that affect us as a
   whole, such as pollution or global warming, which require a global cooperation or
   synergy.

   A promising approach to reach consensus on values is to empirically observe which
   general characteristics of societies leads to happiness in these societies. This
   can be done by correlating various socio-economic indicators, such as wealth,
   health, security, freedom and equality, with the average [21]happiness of the
   population. The resulting list of values is remarkably similar to the values
   underlying the "Universal Declaration of [22]Human Rights", showing that
   universal values can be rationally agreed upon.

   See also: [externallink.GIF] [23]The purpose of life: summary of a book by Donald
   Cameron, arguing that evolution provides a fundamental source of values and
   ethics
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   [24]Copyright© 2001 Principia Cybernetica - [25]Referencing this page

   Author
   F. [26]Heylighen, C. [27]Joslyn, V. [28]Turchin,

   Date
   Oct 16, 2001 (modified)
   Aug 1993 (created)

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   [34]Fitness

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   [37]Happiness

   [38]Self-Actualization
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                                    [39]Discussion
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     * [40]Evolution not a Compelling Source of Values, Refutation by Chris
       MacDonald
     * [41]Potpourri of thoughts on various topics, meandering, Comment by Naomi SG
     * [42]Why must values be consistent with natural selection., Comment by Kerry
       Barnes
     * [43]The value underlying survival, fitness, and process, Comment by Kent
       VanCleave

                                  [44]Add comment...

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References

   1. LYNXIMGMAP:http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/EVOLVAL.html#PCP-header
   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/^KNOWILL.html
   3. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/ETHICS.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/VALUES.html
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   9. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SURVIV.html
  10. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/FITNESS.html
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  14. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/PROCESS.html
  15. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HAPPINES.html
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  32. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SCIVAL.html
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  35. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SURVIV.html
  36. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/GROWTH.html
  37. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HAPPINES.html
  38. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SELFACTU.html
  39. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/MAKANNOT.html
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[USEMAP]
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   1. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/DEFAULT.html
   2. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/HOWWEB.html
   3. http://pcp.lanl.gov/EVOLVAL.html
   4. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/EVOLVAL.html
   5. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/SERVER.html
   6. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/hypercard.acgi$randomlink?searchstring=.html
   7. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/RECENT.html
   8. http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/TOC.html#EVOLVAL
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