Ethical Norms Are Based on Consensus, and Ethics Compatible with Darwinian Evolution Is Necessary for Consensus

Harrison has argued that ethics requires a god and, thus, keeps ethical norms from being threatened by evolutionary debunking. This paper argues that consensus is a better guarantee for ethics than gods, and ethics compatible with evolution is necessary for us to achieve consensus. To reduce the divide between theists and atheists and to prevent us from losing our pursuit of the common good, I start from the key consensus already achieved by Sterba and Harrison, that is, ethics does not specifically require God. It follows that ethics does not require gods and is our own affair. The Darwinian evolutionary theory shows that, when we are adapting to the environment, we develop different behaviors. This provides a common ground for understanding our differences and motivates us to adapt to a new environment where we, who are vastly different, have to live together. Finally, I take Confucian ethics as an example to show how ethics that begins with blood relations has given rise to our golden rule. Thus, the Darwinian evolutionary theory should not be seen as a threat.