Natural Morality, Moral Natures and Human Flourishing

Abstract

I investigate natural moral values as they are empirically discoverable in human developmental psychology, and then draw moral conclusions from those values about how we ought to live, as individuals and societies. An eudemonic ethics, focused on bringing about flourishing, necessarily involves discussion of facts and values, means and ends. The well-being and moral capacities of children and adults in the USA is being undermined by violations of evolved principles for early care. The dominant social structure of human genus history, small-band gatherer-hunter society, offers a useful framework for eudemonic ethics and a possible corrective for the misdirection of modern social life.