The altruism equation : seven scientists search for the origins of goodness

In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This problem plagued Charles Darwin in the 1850s as he developed his theory of evolution through natural selection. Indeed, Darwin worried that the goodness he observed in nature could be the Achilles heel of his theory. Ever since then, scientists and other thinkers have engaged in a fierce debate about the origins of goodness that has dragged politics, philosophy, and religion into what remains a major question for evolutionary biology. __The Altruism Equation__ traces the history of this debate from Darwin to the present through an extraordinary cast of characters-from the Russian prince Petr Kropotkin, who wanted to base society on altruism, to the brilliant biologist George Price, who fell into poverty and succumbed to suicide as he obsessed over the problem. In a final surprising turn, William Hamilton, the scientist who came up with the equation that reduced altruism to the cold language of natural selection, desperately hoped that his theory did not apply to humans. Hamilton's Rule, which states that relatives are worth helping in direct proportion to their blood relatedness, is as fundamental to evolutionary biology as Newton's laws of motion are to physics. But even today, decades after its formulation, Hamilton's Rule is still hotly debated among those who cannot accept that goodness can be explained by a simple mathematical formula. For the first time, Lee Alan Dugatkin brings to life the people, the issues, and the passions that have surrounded the altruism debate. Readers will be swept along by this fast-paced tale of history, biography, and scientific discovery.

The Altruism Equation is an important book in many different ways. It is important because it tackles a significant problem—namely, the levels at which natural selection operates. It is important because it tells a history never before revealed. And it is most important because the author's analysis lets us all move forward on these issues, with new insights and tools of discovery. I recommend it very highly.—Michael Ruse, Florida State University, author of The Evolution-Creation Struggle

This wonderfully written book tells the history of a conceptual revolution in evolutionary biology that fundamentally changed the way scientists think about behavior. Although I do have a slightly different perspective here and there, I enthusiastically recommend this book to everyone who wants to understand the evolutionary roots of altruism and family. This fascinating book is a page-turner for scientists and lay persons alike.—Bert Hölldobler, author (with Edward O. Wilson) of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Ants

Publishers Weekly

If evolution involves a competition for survival, then how can we explain altruism? Biologist Dugatkin (Cheating Monkeys and Citizen Bees: The Nature of Cooperation in Animals and Humans) splendidly narrates a fast-paced tale of scientific breakthrough, genius and intellectual history as he examines the lives of seven scientists-from T.H. Huxley through Richard Dawkins and E.O. Wilson-whose groundbreaking work attempts to answer this question. Darwin's bulldog, T.H. Huxley, believed altruism was rare, and that blood kinship provided the key to an evolutionary understanding of altruism. The Russian anarchist Prince Pyotr Kropotkin, on the other hand, believed altruism was widespread and unrelated to kinship. But the idea of the kinship link won out, and in the 1960s, William Hamilton developed a cost-benefit analysis to explain the genetic basis of altruism: If a gene for altruism is to evolve, then the cost of altruism must somehow be balanced by compensating benefits to the altruist. Stephen Emlen of Cornell has found remarkable evidence of Hamilton's Rule in his studies of bee eaters in Kenya. The impact of Hamilton's Rule on evolutionary biology has been as great as the impact of Newton's laws of motion on physics, says Dugatkin. This superb tale of scientific discovery is required reading for everyone interested in the nature of human morality. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

""The Altruism Equation" is an important book in many different ways. It is important because it tackles a significant problem--namely, the levels at which natural selection operates. It is important because it tells a history never before revealed. And it is most important because the author's analysis lets us all move forward on these issues, with new insights and tools of discovery. I recommend it very highly."--Michael Ruse, Florida State University, author of "The Evolution-Creation Struggle" -- "This wonderfully written book tells the history of a conceptual revolution in evolutionary biology that fundamentally changed the way scientists think about behavior. Although I do have a slightly different perspective here and there, I enthusiastically recommend this book to everyone who wants to understand the evolutionary roots of altruism and family. This fascinating book is a page-turner for scientists and lay persons alike."--Bert Hlldobler, author (with Edward O. Wilson) of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Ants" In a world supposedly governed by ruthless survival of the fittest, why do we see acts of goodness in both animals and humans? This problem plagued Charles Darwin in the 1850s as he developed his theory of evolution through natural selection. Indeed, Darwin worried that the goodness he observed in nature could be the Achilles heel of his theory. Ever since then, scientists and other thinkers have engaged in a fierce debate that has dragged politics, philosophy, and religion into what remains a major question for evolutionary biology." From the bookjacket Content: A special difficulty that might prove fatal -- Darwin's bulldog versus the prince of evolution -- The greatest word from science since Darwin -- J.B.S. : the last man who might know all there was to be known -- Hamilton's rule -- The price of kinship -- Spreading the word -- Keepers of the flame -- Curator of mathematical models.