Natural Law vs. Evolutionary Morality

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Three questions:
  1. Is Natural Law in the Catholic tradition different from Evolutionary morality
  2. If so, how?
  3. One argument put forth says you cannot derive an ought from an “is” so how is natural law different
 
Morality being a construct of evolutionary processes, utilitarian in essence. What is “good” is whatever instincts allows the species to survive and thrive. I have looked into arguments against it and I have come to the conclusion that morality cannot be a product of evolution as morality itself must be above instincts as morality by its nature tells us what we ought to do with our instincts or decisions. The question then becomes, how is natural law different from evolutionary morality?
 
  1. Yes.
  2. Evolution is along the lines of “this happens in nature so it must be good.” Natural law asks the question “what is the nature of being human?” And the corollary questions of what fulfills that nature and what is contrary to it.
  3. I don’t know if I can do it justice in a few words. The ought is what should be, and what should be is a person actualizing the perfections of its nature. There’s a lot more, specifically regarding the convertibility of goodness and being, Aristotlean causality, etc… But the Thomist has extensive explanations and connections for why what is, ought. But it is certainly not a philosophy reducible to the mechanical and materialist. Those types of philosophies allow for no bridge nearly by axiom.
 
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Wesrock said:
  • Evolution is along the lines of “this happens in nature so it must be good.” Natural law asks the question “what is the nature of being human?” And the corollary questions of what fulfills that nature and what is contrary to it.
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But aren’t these lines essentially the same? Once that first question of “what is the nature of being human” is tackled, the next step is to say that part of our nature is [insert anything natural you find], therefore it is good."
 
Tcurry said:
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Wesrock:
  • Evolution is along the lines of “this happens in nature so it must be good.” Natural law asks the question “what is the nature of being human?” And the corollary questions of what fulfills that nature and what is contrary to it.
Click to expand...
But aren’t these lines essentially the same? Once that first question of “what is the nature of being human” is tackled, the next step is to say that part of our nature is [insert anything natural you find], therefore it is good."
Click to expand...
Natural law can be informed by what occurs in nature, but unlike evolutionary morality it is not restricted to just that.
 
You can consider that mankind is different from other animals and like the angels in that we possess the power of intellection, and that such a faculty is ordered towards the pursuit of knowledge and truth, and that the highest end of a rational being is coming to know and love God and see that by our ability to know rational beings bear a unique similitude to God, and see how that forms the rest.
 
That I agree with. I do not believe that morality is an evolutionary construct, my only question is how does natural law differ from evolutionary morality. But in reference to your earlier point, that natural law is concerned with the nature of the human person whereas evolutionary morality is not, I am beginning to see how that is a big difference, so thank you for that response.
 
I wonder if an evolutionary morality can even be defined since such a definition would necessarily have to be based on human behavior, not on some ought, or higher calling defined or originating outside of ourselves or outside of our personal control/determination. Are rape, murder, torture, lying, hate, love, protecting of life, gentleness, adherence to truth, fortitude, drug abuse, gluttony, adultery, unbelief, faith, selfishness, selflessness, etc, all consistent with evolutionary morality since, after all, people do these things?
 
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