Biases for Evil and Moral Perfection

Eyghen, Hans Van

doi:10.3390/rel12070521

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 28 publications

(26 reference statements)

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“…Even if it remains uncertain today whether the notions of "self-interest" and "mutual aid" as used to describe the behavior of members of different species are well formulated, it is a fact that the theory of evolution has become a useful tool in explaining the behavior (morality) not only of our evolutionarily closest relatives, chimpanzees, but also of humans (de Waal 2006). The naturalistic and evolutionary accounts of human origins, human behavior and morality are being systematically expanded to cover a wider range of explananda (Cole-Turner 2020;Moritz 2020;Uhlik 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgiveness and the Naturalistic Approach to Religion: A Contextual View of the Problem of Evil

Oleksowicz

Huzarek

2021

Religions

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Cognitive Science of Religion and evolutionary approaches in the study of religion have opened the rapidly developing field of naturalistic explanation of religion. Since its inception, this empirically driven project has undergone a slow evolution, giving rise to the view that explaining religion is not a matter of accounting for a single (cognitive or functional) trait, but rather involves explaining a very complex repertoire of patterns of thinking and behavior. In this paper, we would like to provide a philosophical analysis of the highly complex problem of forgiveness from the Christian religious and naturalistic perspectives. Our analysis demonstrates a crucial way to understand the concepts of guilt, forgiveness and reconciliation as discussed in the context of Christian theology. At the same time, we also discuss certain strengths and weaknesses of the naturalistic accounts. Finally, we formulate some suggestions for advancing the science–religion dialogue on the problem of evil.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forgiveness and the Naturalistic Approach to Religion: A Contextual View of the Problem of Evil

Oleksowicz

Huzarek

2021

Religions

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Faster, Higher, More Moral: Human Enhancement and Christianity

2022

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The three authors of this article explore the intersection of moral enhancement, ethics, and Christianity. Trothen reviews the meaning and potential of moral enhancements, considering some of the risks and limitations. Trothen identifies three broad ethical questions, which all three authors agree upon, that arise from a Christian theological perspective: what it means to be human, choice, and social justice. Trothen concludes that respect for human dignity and social justice requires rejecting a reductive view of moral improvement as purely biochemical. Buttrey then argues that biomedical moral enhancement (BME) is simply one in a series of attempts to morally improve human beings and can be compared to other efforts such as neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics. He argues that BME cannot be simultaneously more reliable than moral education in virtue and no more restrictive of human freedom. He concludes by suggesting that tensions between BME and Thomistic virtue are even stronger due to Christian conceptions of martyrdom and radical self-denial. Finally, McQueen argues that Christianity emphasizes the common good and social justice as essential for human flourishing. Building on the foundation established by Trothen and Buttrey, McQueen insists that accurate cognitive knowledge is needed to make good conscience decisions, but emphasizes that right human action also requires the exercise of the will, which can be undermined by AI, automation, and perhaps also BME. She concludes by encouraging further attention to the true nature of human agency, human freedom, and wisdom in debates over AI and biomedical enhancement. The authors conclude that BMEs, if they become medically safe, may be theologically justifiable and helpful as a supplement to moral improvement.

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Religion in the Digital Age: An Irreversible Process

Bingaman

2023

Religions

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Digital technology is fundamentally changing what it means to be human, in particular what it means to be a religious or spiritual human being, as it becomes an “irreversible” process. Indeed, the process is having a seismic impact on the religious and spiritual lives of “digital natives”, who have never known a world without the Internet. This paper will seek to determine, by way of the Digital Theology method put forward by Sutinen and Cooper, if the religious-disaffiliation trend among younger populations is connected to the digitalization of society, either causally or correlationally, and what, if anything, religious leaders and faith communities can do about it. Research on the effects of high social media usage will be given special attention, in order to highlight the double-edged nature of digital technology.

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Biases for Evil and Moral Perfection

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

Forgiveness and the Naturalistic Approach to Religion: A Contextual View of the Problem of Evil

Forgiveness and the Naturalistic Approach to Religion: A Contextual View of the Problem of Evil

Faster, Higher, More Moral: Human Enhancement and Christianity

Religion in the Digital Age: An Irreversible Process

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