%0 Journal Article
%T EUGENICS, THE GIRARDIAN THEORY OF SACRIFICE, AND THE NEW DARWINIAN ETHICS
%A THOMAS RYBA
%J Agathos : an International Review of the Humanities and Social Sciences
%D 2011
%I Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Ia?i
%X In this paper I argue that, though many ethical systems recognizesacrifice as moral action, the utilitarian appropriation of Neo-Darwinian theory especially as it justifies eugenics as a ¡°winnowing of the human stock¡± is in Girardian terms analogous to the sacrificial scapegoating of innocents. This argument is accomplished in four steps. (1) I show that within some ethical systems sacrifice is recognized as moral behavior driven by a specific axiology (or theory of value) (2) I discuss some of the meta-ethical problems connected with Neo-Darwinian naturalism and naturalism, in general. (3) I show how modern varieties of naturalism and Darwinian naturalism, inparticular are especially inclined to lead to a moral justification of eugenic scapegoating and how Girardian theory is helpful in identifying the moral disorder connected with eugenics. (4) Finally, I conclude by arguing that Darwin¡¯s thought is susceptible to another kind of interpretation, one that need not lead to the valorization of eugenics.
%K Girardian theory of scapegoating
%K Neo-Darwinianism
%K Neo- Darwinian ethics
%K Naturalism in ethics
%K eugenics
%K G.E. Moore
%K John Searle
%K Rene Girard
%K P.T. Geach
%K Michel Foucault.
%U http://www.agathos-international-review.com/issue2_2/06.%20Articol%203%20-%20THOMAS%20RYBA.pdf