Is altruism merely a survival technique?
Evolutionary psychologists have come up with four plausible Darwinian reasons for altruism:
1. There is “kinship selection,” which is supposed to lurk behind the sacrifices you make for your biological family. It’s based on the percentage of genetic overlap.
2. There is “reciprocal altruism,” which doesn’t depend on shared genes. Here, the basic idea is: You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.
3. The Darwinian advantage of having a reputation for generosity.
4. The aim of bankrupting one’s rivals? This is sometimes called the Potlatch Effect, after the competitive feasts (“potlatch” in Chinook) of a Pacific Northwest tribe whose rival chieftains try to humiliate one another by unmatchable displays of generosity.
Good Instincts
by Jim Holt
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