Social Environment and Moral Progress

"Social Environment and Moral Progress" by Alfred Russel Wallace is a scientific publication written in the early 20th century. The work explores the complex relationship between morality and the social environment, delving into how morality has evolved and what influences it. The author emphasizes that moral progress is contingent upon the social context in which individuals operate, questioning the inherent understanding of right and wrong across different cultures and epochs. The opening of the text introduces the concept of moral progress, urging readers to consider that standards of morality shift significantly over time and between societies. Wallace critiques the notion that moral understanding is instinctual, pointing out that moral values often reflect societal conventions rather than universally inherent truths. He systematically lays out the groundwork for examining morality's historical foundations, illustrating his argument with historical examples, such as the shifting perceptions surrounding slavery. This sets the tone for a thorough exploration of how humanity’s moral framework is shaped by social conditions, the historical context of these morals, and the need for a careful selection process to foster moral improvement. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Alfred Russel Wallace was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's earlier writings on the topic. It spurred Darwin to set aside the "big species book" he was drafting and quickly write an abstract of it, which was published in 1859 as On the Origin of Species.