NATURAL SELECTION AND HUMAN ALTRUISM.
Item
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Title
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NATURAL SELECTION AND HUMAN ALTRUISM.
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Identifier
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AAI8203311
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identifier
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8203311
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Creator
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OSTRIN, ZVI.
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Contributor
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Stanley N. Salthe
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Date
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1981
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Biology, General
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Abstract
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Human altruism may be studied in the same manner as other forms of animal behavior. Three types of human altruism can be distinguished. The names 'Altruism-I', 'Altruism-II', and 'Altruism-III' are suggested as neutral terms. Altruism-I is true self-sacrifice, equivalent to the ethical ideal. Altruism-II is reciprocal altruism, an explicit or implicit tit-for-tat economic relationship. Altruism-III is kin-altruism or nepotism, and is based in large part upon genetic relationship. Even though human actions are complex and may involve components of all three forms of altruism, most actions can be readily assigned to one of the three categories. The theoretical underpinning of this tripartite division of altruism is grounded in Hamilton's theory of inclusive fitness, and shares the conceptual difficulties of neo-Darwinism.;Standard philosophical arguments suggest that altruism is a motivation for behavior rather than the behavior itself: helping behavior comes as the result of reasons, motives, and intentions not discernible by observation. The usual tendency, however, is to judge others' mind states by means of the behavior observed at that time: in general we judge altruism by deeds (behavior), not by words (reasons).;Altruism-III has been observed in many animal species, including man. The best evidence for Altruism-II comes from human studies. Consequently, it is unclear whether Altruism-II is biologically, or culturally, driven. Analysis of the social psychological literature indicates that human helping behavior is influenced by (1) the cost (and often the benefit) of an action, and (2) propinquity--the genetic relationship and geographic proximity of the helper and the helped. Cross-cultural analysis of forty-two small-scale societies, using the Human Relations Area Files, supports the following two hypotheses: (1) 'Individuals within a society will assist kin and reciprocators'; (2) 'Individuals within a society will not assist "true strangers"--i.e., non-kin and non-reciprocators.' A thoroughly consistent explanation of these behavioral patterns places human altruism within the framework of biological rather than cultural causation. The evidence suggests that developing sociobiological theory does accurately delineate the causes of human altruistic behavior.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Biology
