Question

According to evolutionary theory, behaviors that optimize survival and reproduction are favored by natural selection and therefore more likely to persist. How, then, can we explain the evolution of altruism, which is by definition costly to the self? Provide an example.

Answer 1

Evolutionary theory relies on principle of natural selection which is based on "survival of fittest" . As per this , the person should be selfish and look for private gain so as to survive.

As opposed to this theory , human show compassion and altruism where they are seen helping other at cost of self benefits . There are various explanation been proposed to explain such behaviour .

The first significant theory was " Kin Selection theory " , proposed by wilson et al . It explained that human shows helping behaviour towards other who share some gene with them . Over a period of time that shared genetic material survive competition hence person showing altruistic behaviour is benifited. This theory provided some significant explaination but fail to explain self sacrifising behavior towards other with no genetic similarities.

Wilson himself came up with new researches finding that human self sacrificing behaviour is towards survival of a social group that may be a kin and may not be . When individualy competing with each other a man is selfish . But when it happens to be a case for group selection , altruistic nature of human evolves. He termed human as intelligent enough to decide on benefits of group survival.

Anthropological studies have offered support to this view by concluding that human has become altruistic because at many circumstances cooperation becomes necessary for survival . Hence it can be said that it is not altruism that lead to cooperation but need of cooperation make a man show self sacrificing behavior.

For example hunter and gatherers of at start of civilisation earlier were Individual hunter . Later , they started group huntig as larger animals could not be dealt by one person . Many a times a person would help other without getting direct share in hunted animal as it will help them overpowering animals in longer runs.