Altruism: From Pagan Virtue to Political Biology
Theories of human altruistic behavior are many, varied, conflicting, and often controversial. This essay examines the scope of philosophical, psychological, economic, biological, political, and religious arguments for and against the possibility of altruistic phenomena. It emphasizes reputation, both as an inherent and rational component of altruistic human behavior, and as a complement to the evolved propensities for cooperation, reciprocity, trust, and exchange. Placing reputation within this short litany of inherent propensities perfects a coherent evolutionary theory of altruism that, unlike influential theories, is encompassing, parsimonious, and verifiable.