The Social Instinct
Book description
Why cooperate? This may be the most important scientific question we have ever, and will ever, face.
The science of cooperation tells us not only how we got here, but also where we might end up. Cooperation explains how strands of DNA gave rise to modern-day nation states. It defines…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Social Instinct as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Why do we cooperate? To a highly cooperative species like ourselves, it might seem obvious that we do, but from a rational perspective, individuals benefit more from pursuing their own narrow interests. To answer this question, this book takes a step back, or rather a few million steps, evolutionarily speaking. From the level of the cell to that of complex societies, it examines cooperation as a driving force in nature, allowing us to see ourselves as part of a much bigger story.
From Dimitris' list on the things that make us human.
All socially living creatures must cooperate; indeed, cooperation is a basic principle of evolution and occurs even between cells. In this book, Nichola Raihani describes the evolution of cooperative behavior over the entire tree of life, from cells to social insects to group-living birds and mammals to humans. With many examples, this tour de force is nevertheless so exciting that one does not want to put the book down. One learns a lot about when cooperation arises, what conditions must be present for cooperative behavior to remain stable, and when cooperation can also break down. At a time when worldwide…
From Susanne's list on the evolution of insect and human societies.
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