Final answer:
Human ethics evolved to maximize survival in early cooperative living arrangements. Evolutionary ethics suggests that moral traits could be inherited and shaped by rational development and social influences. Social Darwinism, which misapplied these ideas to human societies, has been discredited.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Darwin, human ethics evolved to maximize survival within specific living arrangements. The type of living arrangement that shaped human ethics is closely tied to the environments in which early humans found themselves. This refers to the small, cooperative groups that our ancestors likely lived in; environments where cooperation, mutual aid, and social behaviors were beneficial for survival and reproductive success. These social structures necessitated the development of moral behaviors and norms that promoted group cohesion and ultimately increased the chances of survival of the group's members.
Evolutionary ethics supports the notion that our moral nature has advanced through the expansion of our rational abilities, the influence of habits, examples, instruction, and reflection, and potentially through the inheritance of virtuous tendencies. The principles of evolution and natural selection are considered the guiding forces in understanding how organisms, including humans, are suited to their environments.
Social Darwinism, which applied Darwinian principles to human society, was a separate development that suggested certain human groups or individuals were inherently superior to others. This concept has been widely criticized and is considered to be a misapplication of Darwin's theories.