The altruism equation: seven scientists search for the origins of goodness
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Publisher:
Princeton University Press
Pub. Date:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language:
English
Description
In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This problem plagued Charles Darwin in the 1850s as he developed his theory of evolution through natural selection. Indeed, Darwin worried that the goodness he observed in nature could be the Achilles heel of his theory. Ever since then, scientists and other thinkers have engaged in a fierce debate about the origins of goodness that has dragged politics, philosophy, and religion into what remains a major question for evolutionary biology. The Altruism Equation traces the history of this debate from Darwin to the present through an extraordinary cast of characters-from the Russian prince Petr Kropotkin, who wanted to base society on altruism, to the brilliant biologist George Price, who fell into poverty and succumbed to suicide as he obsessed over the problem. In a final surprising turn, William Hamilton, the scientist who came up with the equation that reduced altruism to the cold language of natural selection, desperately hoped that his theory did not apply to humans. Hamilton's Rule, which states that relatives are worth helping in direct proportion to their blood relatedness, is as fundamental to evolutionary biology as Newton's laws of motion are to physics. But even today, decades after its formulation, Hamilton's Rule is still hotly debated among those who cannot accept that goodness can be explained by a simple mathematical formula. For the first time, Lee Alan Dugatkin brings to life the people, the issues, and the passions that have surrounded the altruism debate. Readers will be swept along by this fast-paced tale of history, biography, and scientific discovery.
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ISBN:
9781400841431
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Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | 5e943377-362c-ed5b-11f2-4b79a7bfc0e6 |
---|---|
Grouping Title | altruism equation seven scientists search for the origins of goodness |
Grouping Author | lee alan dugatkin |
Grouping Category | book |
Grouping Language | English (eng) |
Last Grouping Update | 2024-05-07 20:57:32PM |
Last Indexed | 2024-05-18 23:40:46PM |
Solr Fields
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author
Dugatkin, Lee Alan, 1962-
author2-role
ProQuest (Firm)
author_display
Dugatkin, Lee Alan
display_description
In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This problem plagued Charles Darwin in the 1850s as he developed his theory of evolution through natural selection. Indeed, Darwin worried that the goodness he observed in nature could be the Achilles heel of his theory. Ever since then, scientists and other thinkers have engaged in a fierce debate about the origins of goodness that has dragged politics, philosophy, and religion into what remains a major question for evolutionary biology. The Altruism Equation traces the history of this debate from Darwin to the present through an extraordinary cast of characters-from the Russian prince Petr Kropotkin, who wanted to base society on altruism, to the brilliant biologist George Price, who fell into poverty and succumbed to suicide as he obsessed over the problem. In a final surprising turn, William Hamilton, the scientist who came up with the equation that reduced altruism to the cold language of natural selection, desperately hoped that his theory did not apply to humans. Hamilton's Rule, which states that relatives are worth helping in direct proportion to their blood relatedness, is as fundamental to evolutionary biology as Newton's laws of motion are to physics. But even today, decades after its formulation, Hamilton's Rule is still hotly debated among those who cannot accept that goodness can be explained by a simple mathematical formula. For the first time, Lee Alan Dugatkin brings to life the people, the issues, and the passions that have surrounded the altruism debate. Readers will be swept along by this fast-paced tale of history, biography, and scientific discovery.
format_category_ccu
eBook
format_ccu
eBook
id
5e943377-362c-ed5b-11f2-4b79a7bfc0e6
isbn
9781400841431
last_indexed
2024-05-19T05:40:46.247Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
primary_isbn
9781400841431
publishDate
2006
2011
2011
publisher
Princeton University Press
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Altruism
Altruisme
Altruisme chez les animaux
Altruistic behavior in animals
Electronic books
Nonfiction
SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution
SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Zoology -- General
Science
Altruisme
Altruisme chez les animaux
Altruistic behavior in animals
Electronic books
Nonfiction
SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution
SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Zoology -- General
Science
title_display
The altruism equation : seven scientists search for the origins of goodness
title_full
The altruism equation : seven scientists search for the origins of goodness / Lee Alan Dugatkin
The altruism equation [electronic resource] : Seven scientists search for the origins of goodness. Lee Alan Dugatkin
The altruism equation [electronic resource] : seven scientists search for the origins of goodness / Lee Alan Dugatkin
The altruism equation [electronic resource] : Seven scientists search for the origins of goodness. Lee Alan Dugatkin
The altruism equation [electronic resource] : seven scientists search for the origins of goodness / Lee Alan Dugatkin
title_short
The altruism equation
title_sub
seven scientists search for the origins of goodness
topic_facet
Altruism
Altruisme
Altruisme chez les animaux
Altruistic behavior in animals
Evolution
General
Life Sciences
Nonfiction
SCIENCE
Science
Zoology
Altruisme
Altruisme chez les animaux
Altruistic behavior in animals
Evolution
General
Life Sciences
Nonfiction
SCIENCE
Science
Zoology
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