X-Message-Number: 7276
Date: Sat, 7 Dec 1996 11:40:19 -0500 (EST)
From: Charles Platt <>
Subject: Sociobiology

Thomas Donaldson writes:

"Since it has been very hard for theorists of evolution to produce any
situation at all in which animals can be validly said to be acting "for
the good of their society" sociobiology amounts to just the opposite!" 

Surely, Thomas, it depends how you define "society." If it consists of a
single species (which is how we normally apply the term to ourselves),
there are in fact examples of animals making "sacrifices for their
society." A sick dolphin, for instance, may be physically supported by
two other dolphins so that it doesn't sink and drown. Their "motive" is
not selfish in the immediate sense; it costs them energy. But their action
is good for the dolphin species; i.e. dolphin society. 

This kind of cooperative behavior contradicts principles of game theory
which helped to sustain the cold war. It indicates that pure self interest
(of the type I see around me in New York every day) is not the only form
of evolved behavior for animal species; and cooperative behavior
(including seeming personal sacrifices which I might be more likely to
witness in a small community) may be more "natural," since it serves as a
better survival trait than totally ruthless exploitation for the exclusive
benefit of the individual. 

Cryonics of course benefits only the individual (so far as I can see), 
which may be one of many reasons why it seems "unnatural" on some gut 
level to many people. 

Just speculating, of course.


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