Publications [#52684] of Robert N. Brandon

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Papers Submitted

  1. with Grant Ramsey, Toward a Pluralistic Account of Altruism: Why Reciprical Alturism is Not a Kind of Group Selection, Philosophy of Science (2006), Philosophy of Science Association .
    (last updated on 2007/01/02)

    Abstract:
    Reciprocal altruism was origianlly formulated in terms of individual selection and most theorists continue to view it in this way. However, this interpretation of reciprocal altruism has been challenged by Sober and Wilson (1998). They argue that reciprocal altruism (as well as all other forms of alturism) evolves by the process of group selection. their view is thus monistic--all alturism evolves via the sole mechanism of group selection. In this paper we defend the view that reciprocal altruism involves individual selection. By arguing that reciprocal altruism is individually advantageous, while maintaining that other forms of altruism evolve by group selection, we are arguing for a pluralistic account of alturism.