March 2000, xvi + 352 pages
ISBN 0 907845 07 X (paperback), $24.95 / £14.95
ISSI discount price: $20 / £12
"Thoughtful and informative, ... a good basis for appreciating
what has been achieved, and what the prospects might be, in a domain of
inquiry that is of fundamental importance for understanding of our essential
nature."
Noam Chomsky
"What would happen at a fictional dinner with the likes of Charles
Darwin, Adam Smith, David Hume, and Friedrich Nietzsche debating and revising
their views in the light of today's science? Hard to say, perhaps,
but one might well imagine that it would be great fun to listen in. Forget
fiction. Pick up Evolutionary Origins of Morality and find out how moral
psychology is being picked apart by evolutionists. The concise essays and
critical exchanges are great fun -- and a feast for the mind"Marc
Hauser
PRIMATE EVOLUTIONARY CONTINUITIES VS. HUMAN UNIQUENESS
To what extent is human morality the outcome of a continuous development
from motives, emotions and social behaviors present in nonhuman animals?
In collaboration with coauthor Jessica Flack, leading primatologist Frans
de Waal (Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape; Good Natured: The Origins
of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals; Peacemaking Among
Primates; Chimpanzee Politics) interprets the evidence for 'Darwinian
Building Blocks of Morality in Monkeys and Apes'. Some primatologists,
among them Hans Kummer (In Quest of the Sacred Baboon), and others,
including Harvard psychologist Jerome Kagan (Three Seductive Ideas;
Galen's
Prophecy), question these interpretations. Other discussants
suggest experiments and perspectives to advance the project.
HOW, WHEN AND WHY DID THE UNIQUE ASPECTS OF HUMAN
MORALITY ARISE?
Christopher Boehm, an anthropologist whose field research has ranged from
Jane Goodall's camp at Gombe to Balkan feuds (Hierarchy in the Forest,
Harvard, 1999; Blood Revenge, 1984) synthesizes social science and
biological evidence in his hypothesis of how our hominid ancestors became
at once moral and human by establishing purposeful social control over
individual behavior. Anthropologist Bruce Knauft (South Coast
New Guinea Cultures; From Primitive to Postcolonial...) and
sociologist Donald Black (The Social Structure of Right and Wrong)
contribute high points to the discussion.
ARE WE REALLY ALTRUISTS?
Can an evolutionary understanding of human nature allow or predict sacrifices
for others or actions aimed at another's good? Philosopher Elliott
Sober and evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson summarize their controversial
book, Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior
(Harvard, 1998), which argues for the evolution of both behavior having
altruistic effects and of altruistic motives, using and defending Wilson's
group selection approach, a focus of current debate on human evolution.
Thirteen commentators from a broad range of biological, behavioral and
social sciences, and philosophy, discuss the merits of their views.
CAN FAIRNESS EVOLVE?
How can fairness to others at one's own expense evolve or survive in competition
with selfish strategies? Brian Skyrms (Evolution of the Social
Contract, Cambridge, 1996) argues that game theory based on adaptive
dynamics must join the social scientist's use of rational choice and classical
game theory if fairness and other observed features of human behavior are
to be explained. Experimental economists and computational modelers
contribute their perpectives and results to the discussion, as does evolutionary
psychologist Dennis Krebs.
Leonard D. Katz, Toward Good and Evil: Evolutionary Approaches to Aspects
of Human Morality
Section 1. Primate Evolutionary Continuities versus
Human Uniqueness
Principal paper
Jessica C. Flack and Frans B.M. de Waal, 'Any Animal Whatever':
Darwinian Building Blocks of Morality in Monkeys and Apes
Commentary discussion of principal paper
I.S. Bernstein, The Law Of Parsimony Prevails: Missing Premises
Allow Any Conclusion
Josep Call, Intending and Perceiving: Two Forgotten Components
of Social Norms
Margaret Gruter and Monika Gruter Morhenn, Building Blocks of
Legal Behaviour: The Evolution of Law
Sandra Güth and Werner Güth, Morality Based on Cognition
in Primates
Jerome Kagan, Human Morality Is Distinctive
Hans Kummer, Ways Beyond Appearances
Jim Moore, Morality and the Elephant: Prosocial Behaviour, Normativity,
and Fluctuating Allegiances
Peter Railton, Darwinian Building Blocks
B. Thierry, Building Elements of Morality Are Not Elements of
Morality
John Troyer, Human and Other Natures
Response to commentary discussion
Jessica C. Flack and Frans B.M. de Waal, Being Nice Is Not a Building
Block of Morality
Section 2. How, When and Why Did the Unique Aspects
of Human Morality Arise?
Principal paper
Christopher Boehm, Conflict and the Evolution of Social Control
Commentary discussion of principal paper
Christoph Antweiler, Morality as Adaptive Problem-Solving for Conflicts
of Power
I.S. Bernstein, Logic and Human Morality: An Attractive if Untestable
Scenario
Donald Black, On the Origin of Morality
Alan Carling, Boehm's Golden Age: Equality and Consciousness
in Early Human Society
Robert Knox Dentan, Puzzling Questions, Not Beyond All Conjecture:
Boehm's 'Evolutionary Origins Of Morality'
Peter M. Gardner, Which Culture Traits Are Primitive?
Bruce M. Knauft, Symbols, Sex and Sociality In the Evolution
of Human Morality
Dennis Krebs, As Moral As We Need To Be
B. Thierry, Group Sanctions Without Social Norms?
Lionel Tiger, The Internal Triangle
Response to commentary discussion
Christopher Boehm, The Origin of Morality as Social Control
Section 3. Are We Really Altruists?
Principal paper
Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson, Summary of Unto Others:
The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior
Commentary discussion of principal paper
C. Daniel Batson, Unto Others: A Service . . . and a Disservice
Christopher Boehm, Group Selection in the Upper Palaeolithic
Herbert Gintis, Group Selection and Human Prosociality
Gilbert Harman, Can Evolutionary Theory Provide Evidence Against
Psychological Hedonism?
K.N. Laland, F.J. Odling-Smee and Marcus W. Feldman, Group Selection:
A Niche Construction Perspective
Iver Mysterud, Group Selection, Morality, and Environmental
Problems
Randolph M. Nesse, How Selfish Genes Shape Moral Passions
Leonard Nunney, Altruism, Benevolence and Culture
Alex Rosenberg, The Problem of Enforcement: Is There an Alternative
to Leviathan?
William A. Rottschaefer, It's Been a Pleasure, But That's Not
Why I Did It: Are Sober and Wilson Too Generous Toward Their Selfish Brethren?
Lori Stevens, Experimental Studies of Group Selection: A Genetical
Perspective
Ian Vine, Selfish, Altruistic, or Groupish? Natural Selection
and Human Moralities
Amotz Zahavi, Altruism: The Unrecognized Selfish Traits
Response to commentary discussion
Elliott Sober and David Sloan Wilson, Morality and Unto Others
Section 4. Can Fairness Evolve?
Principal paper
Brian Skyrms, Game Theory, Rationality and Evolution of the Social
Contract
Commentary discussion of principal paper
Gary E. Bolton, Motivation and the Games People Play
Jeffrey P. Carpenter, Blurring the Line Between Rationality
and Evolution
Justin D'Arms, When Evolutionary Game Theory Explains Morality,
What Does It Explain?
Herbert Gintis, Classical versus Evolutionary Game Theory
Sandra Güth and Werner Güth, Rational Deliberation
versus Behavioural Adaptation: Theoretical Perspectives and Experimental
Evidence
William Harms, The Evolution of Cooperation in Hostile Environments
Dennis Krebs, Evolutionary Games and Morality
Gary Mar, Evolutionary Game Theory, Morality and Darwinism
Randolph M. Nesse, Strategic Subjective Commitment
Christopher D. Proulx, Distributive Justice and the Nash Bargaining
Solution
Response to commentary discussion
Brian Skyrms, Adaptive Dynamic Models and the Social Contract
Index
