Morality and Reputation: An Evolutionist Perspective

Why human beings act morally? Evolutionary theories of morality are divided into two main positions: on the one hand, those who think that morality has evolved for the sake of the group and predisposed individuals to sacrifice for the collective, and, on the other hand, those who think that morality has been selected to endow individuals with the capacity to respect other people’s interests and to cooperate with them in a mutually advantageous manner. The mutualistic approach to morality suggests that people are not motivated to act morally for authentic moral reasons. Under a veil of disinterest, they try to get a better reputation. In this article, we suggest that a mutualistic approach to morality is compatible with a more sincere view of the motivations of moral acts.