“On Good and Evil in an Extra-Terrestrial Sense: Xenoethics, the Ultimate Frontier of Moral Universals”
The search for what is proper and distinctly human is perhaps one of the most recurring issues in the history of philosophy. This problem is especially relevant in the moral sphere, where the difference between universals and particulars may have important normative consequences. In order to find a plausible empirical support for moral universals, anthropologists and psychologists have expanded the range of their observations and comparisons, progressively moving away from their cultural horizon. Following this expansive movement, one could suggest the hypothesis of even larger universals that overcome the constraints of our human culture and psychology. These universals could be found in intelligent beings beyond the boundaries of our planet. The speculation about xenoethics and trans-terrestrial moral universals is at present just a thought experiment.