cmv: The evolutionary argument for moral nihilism is good but not sufficient evidence against moral realism.

Delta(s) from OP

I am open to both arguments against the evolutionary debunking and arguments for the evolutionary debunking. This's why the title is weirdly worded.

Evolutionary debunking arguments claim our moral faculties evolved merely for survival, rendering moral realism false. However, this overlooks the nature of moral experience. Consider Jackson’s classic "Mary’s Room" thought experiment: a scientist knowing all physical facts about color still learns something new upon finally seeing red.

Similarly, understanding the evolutionary utility or neurology of empathy is fundamentally distinct from experiencing its moral weight. Just because color vision evolved for foraging doesn’t mean colors lack objective reality; likewise, the fact that we evolved empathy for social cohesion does not disprove the existence of objective moral truths.

Posted Jun 10, 2026, 10:42 PM UTC

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