Group Selection Is a Thorny Issue

Group selection is the idea that individuals who are unrelated may be favored for behaving altruistically towards others in a way that would be evolutionarily significant. Dawkins: All of the definitions of altruism that we've used in this conversation so far actually result in an individual being paid back for their benevolence meaning that it is a kind of enlightened self-interest. We have left one piece off the list and just in the interest of completeness I think we should add it, which is indirect reciprocity. So you can imagine that maybe you go through life holding doors open for people without wondering whether they are ever going to be in a position to hold a door open for you. You may go