Mehrnaz Bashizadeh Moghaddam

This article provides a systematic review of a wide range of leading theories in evolutionary ethics—including kin selection, reciprocal altruism, group selection, evolutionary intuitionism, and the evolution of empathy—while offering a critical evaluation of their foundations, contributions, and especially their fundamental shortcomings in fully accounting for the complex phenomenon of human morality. The central issue addressed is the insufficiency of standard evolutionary accounts in responding to the existential and teleological questions of ethics—particularly the deeper question of why human beings possess a fundamental need to ‘generate morality’ beyond mere mechanisms of survival and adaptation. The article argues that, despite their valuable insights into certain aspects of social behavior, these theories overlook cultural dimensions, the role of agency and volition, and, above all, the deeper existential roots of morality. This neglect leads to a reductive and ultimately inadequate account of ethics. The study concludes by emphasizing the necessity of moving beyond purely evolutionary explanations and attending to philosophical and existential approaches in order to attain a more comprehensive understanding of human morality.