Science Takes On Altruism In The Daily Telegraph
Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University College of London, takes a look at one of the most bizarre (scientifically speaking) aspects of being a human: altruism. Is it religious dogma, or perhaps some genetic holdover from an ancient era when we were actually all related? Or maybe math can explain it? This man of science muses on these things and more; it’s quite a read, especially during the most wonderful time of the year.
Our closest relatives, from chimps to baboons, are Scrooges, one and all. They would never dream of sending a donation to charity: get old, sick or wander in to the wrong place and you are done for. The only philanthropy among other primates is to kin, or to unrelated members of a local group, in the hope of helping the genes (or the philanthropist’s own prospects, should he need to call in the debt).
Most readers of The Daily Telegraph live in groups of thousands and are, on the average, no more closely related to one another than sixth cousins. Why, then – and particularly at this time of year – are they so, well, nice to their fellows? Science remains fairly baffled. Since the days of George Price, the theory of altruism has grown into a quarrelsome and self-regarding universe of its own, in which those who breathe the rarefied atmosphere of higher mathematics clash, with no sign of charity, about that urgent question.
View from the lab – The Daily Telegraph
[tags] altruism, human, psychology, science [/tags]
Linky goodness ’til Wade fixes that <a href> tag.
Fixed.
Thanks, Beck!