Kenotic Ethics and SETI: A Present-Day View

Abstract

Contact with extraterrestrials will raise acute issues regarding ethics—both theirs and ours. The evolutionary theory that ethics is solely about preserving one’s genes is not the whole story, indeed it does not reflect the true nature of ethics. This chapter makes the case that the deep nature of ethics is kenotic, and that it is likely an advanced alien intelligence will recognize this—because long-term survival is dependent on such a stance. We should approach any contact with them on this basis.