How moral responsibility emerges from a deterministic world

Abstract

Humans are only one of many species that populate the earth. Based on the way they have taken command of natural resources and rearranged the surface of the earth with a network of cities, roads, infrastructure and technology, they seem to have become the dominant and leading species alive. However, on the evolutionary scale of organic progression they are actually quite young. In this dissertation, a philosophical account will be given of how a deterministic cosmos managed to become partly alive. It will be shown how it harbours within itself the peculiar ability to evolve material and organic structures of high complexity – and how those structures became alive, self-conscious and morally responsive. It will be argued that humans have evolved within the bosom of the cosmos on account of intricate laws to become teleological agents of high advancement. That is, they represent those parts of the cosmos that can reflect upon its own existence, acquire knowledge of its nature and project it towards a future state of being.

Die mensdom is maar een van verskeie spesies wat die aarde bewoon. Gebaseer op die wyse waarop hulle egter beheer neem oor al die natuurlike hulpbronne en die oppervlak van die aarde herorganiseer deur reuse stede, kommunikasienetwerke, infrastruktuur en tegnologie tot stand te bring, blyk dit asof hulle die dominante spesie is. Tog, op die evolusionêre skaal van organiese ontwikkeling is hulle maar ʼn redelike onlangse toevoeging. In hierdie verhandeling word daar ʼn filosofiese beskrywing gegee van hoe ʼn deterministiese kosmos dit kon regkry om gedeeltelik lewendig te word. Daar word gedemonstreer hoe die kosmos in sigself die besonderse vermoë het om materiële en organiese strukture van hoë kompleksiteit te produseer – en hoe hierdie strukture lewendig, selfbewus en moreel aktief raak. Dit word geargumenteer dat die mens in die boesem van die kosmos ontwikkel het deur middel van inherente natuurwette om uiteindelik teleologiese agente van ʼn hoë orde te wees. Hulle verteenwoordig dus daardie besonderse gedeelte van die kosmos wat oor hul eie bestaan kan nadink, wat kennis oor hul unieke aard kan ontwikkel en daaruit ʼn toekomsvisie projekteer.