Final answer:
Sociobiology is a science that explains social behaviors in terms of evolutionary biology and genetics, suggesting genetic roots for even complex ethical behaviors. This raises debates about biological determinism versus environmental influences in shaping behavior.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is sociobiology? Sociobiology is an interdisciplinary science that merges biology, specifically evolutionary theory, with understanding social behavior patterns. The concept asserts that much of human and animal behavior, including aspects such as aggression, can be traced to genetic origins and is a product of natural selection. This field is quite contentious due to its implications for ethics, as it leans on biological determinism and tends to downplay environmental influences, thereby fueling the nature versus nurture debate.
The link between sociobiology and ethics is particularly thought-provoking because it touches upon moral development and human behavior. Sociobiologists suggest that behaviors, including those with ethical dimensions, have evolved to maximize genetic survival. However, this stance is controversial, as it potentially reduces complex ethical considerations to mere evolutionary functions.