Evolutionary Biology - What Is the Main Conclusion?

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In the early 70s, when something called naive group selection was first prominent and then prominently discredited. The idea that something might evolve for the good of the group had become seriously taboo along with Lamarckism. In my field of evolutionary biology, it became the theory of individual selection and selfish genes as if everything that evolved has to be explained in terms of individual self-interest. And so that became my sort of cause, the labra, that to resurrect the evolution of altruism group selection.

On this episode, evolutionary biologist David Sloan Wilson joins Nate to unpack how evolution can be used to explain and understand modern human behavior, particularly with respect to cooperation and pro-social behavior. David is a leading scholar in this field, especially on the resurgence of the concept ‘multi-level selection’. How can an evolutionary idea, first thought of by Darwin and subsequently ignored until recently, shed light on human’s inherent balance between competition and cooperation? And how might our improved knowledge of where we come from inform our behaviors and collective governance in the decades ahead?

About David Sloan Wilson:

David Sloan Wilson is one of the foremost evolutionary thinkers and gifted communicators about evolution to the general public. He is SUNY Distinguished Professor of Biology and Anthropology Emeritus at Binghamton University and President of the nonprofit organization ProSocial World, whose mission is "To consciously evolve a world that works for all". His most recent books are This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution, Prosocial: Using Evolutionary Science to Build Productive, Equitable, and Collaborative Groups (with Paul Atkins and Steven C. Hayes), and his first novel, Atlas Hugged: The Autobiography of John Galt III.

For Show Notes and More visit: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/56-david-sloan-wilson